Salt Bae and the unbearable presence of influencers

FIFA has launched an investigation. For the first time, a social network influencer is pinned down. "At last," you may rejoice. And perhaps this is the beginning of a rethink among athletes...

It has become an unbearable fashion. For several years now, no sport event can be organised without the presence of influencers. The number of followers is the proof, even if they have no connection with the event they are invited to. On TikTok and Instagram mainly, they are in the best conditions to bombard their accounts with stories, posts, short videos, supposedly to attract new audiences who, like them, know nothing about it. 

A new marketing trend for clubs, franchises and institutions, the use of influencers makes it possible to offer soulless content under the guise of "cool" (which is the antechamber of cheesiness), with agreed-upon statements to develop communication axes and thus sell products to new consumers.

While access to journalists (who themselves are not always helped by members of their corporation who are adept at what is modestly called "households"), particularly in terms of obtaining interviews, is becoming more and more restricted, influencers are well versed in the exercise of sharing content on social networks and have no problem avoiding the tough questions in exchange for a few privileged accesses, goodies and direct access to personalities from the world of sport. 

We don't beat ourselves up about it

The latest episode in this drift was the intrusion of Nusret Gokce, aka Salt Bae, on the pitch of the Lusail Stadium in Doha during the Albiceleste's celebrations. Without really knowing why, the man with nearly 50 million followers on Instagram annoyed Lionel Messi for a photo, took the trophy from the players' hands, lifted it and kissed it.

This has prompted a FIFA investigation. Clearly, the chef, made famous for the way he throws salt on prime rib in his Dubai restaurant, has definitely burned himself out, including among the footballers who are his privileged customers... but not necessarily his buddies, which he obviously had trouble understanding. 

Salt Bae has received a lot of negative comments, if not insults. But rather than lashing out at him, it's better to give him a big pat on the back for his actions.

This outburst exposes the lack of established boundaries between sportsmanship and decorum. After all, if they are offered so much power and consideration, why deprive themselves? Salt Bae was never aware of what he was doing and, in the end, he is hardly to blame. The position offered leads to this kind of behaviour.

Representatives of sportswashing

For what benefit? Does this help attract new spectators, viewers and consumers of sport? Isn't the number of publications seen a huge mislead, mainly intended to make people believe that promotional work exists but ultimately yields almost nothing because it is aimed at a volatile public, which picks up a few highlights, a few polemics, a few memes, without taking any further interest? 

The world of sport, or rather the federations, leagues, club owners and broadcasting rights holders, are faced with a major problem - gaining market share by offering more matches and more content, most often at the expense of the game. This is not easy, especially when most of the programmes have to be paid for and these attempts often look like sportswashing, as we saw in Qatar before and during the World Cup. 

Unfortunately for them, we have to face the facts - sport will never interest everyone and earning money (or at least breaking even) is increasingly difficult because the amounts paid out have been overvalued. So to compensate for bad investments and to give in to overbidding, one has to find subterfuges to try to make up for it in part.

The intervention of influencers mainly serves the lack of reflection on the reform of institutions, the protection of sportsmen and women and therefore the real improvement of performances and the show. The influx of people paid to broadcast only entertainment will not improve the understanding of sport and will not bring anything in the long run.

And the proof that influencers have become too important and overstepped the mark is Salt Bae, who really should be thanked for exposing the vacuousness of marketing research by decision-makers who decidedly don't understand much about the subject they are dealing with.