When the Picture Isn't Pretty: How Influencers Are Adapting to Lockdown
Social media stars face uncertain futures as multibillion-dollar revenue streams dry up.
@motiankari
Marcel Floruss knew things had changed when Ralph Lauren cancelled the fragrance launch the 28-year-old model had planned to attend this month in Hawaii.
A German national currently living in Los Angeles, Floruss makes his living promoting and collaborating with menswear brands on his extensive Instagram (462,000 followers) and YouTube (600,000 followers) channels. Life has changed drastically since the Covid-19 coronavirus caused a global shutdown. Income once sourced almost exclusively from life as an influencer—extensive travel (50 flights last year), large public events, and intimate luxury gatherings—has stalled completely. Like billions of others affected by the virus, Floruss and his fellow social media stars have been forced to radically adjust how they do business.