People are increasingly unsure if they can trust influencers – but Universal Orlando is resisting this shift. By letting teen internet personalities tell its story the way they want to, it’s demonstrating the power influencers can have when brands are brave enough relinquish control.

The phrase “social media influencer” likely conjures up a specific image: a young, conventionally beautiful man or woman promoting weight-loss tea through #sponcon on your Instagram feed. Instagram, in particular, has long been the domain of the young and glamorous but, as ideals of beauty and celebrity continue to shift, a new wave of social influencer is taking shape. People are seeking out content from different groups of people, from Boomers subverting social norms around ageing, to young women who weight train, to the stars of reality TV who are sharing every detail of their lives on social media. In an age of hyper-accessibility, people are following influencers who more closely represent them and their interests.

Consumer-goods company Unilever has committed to cutting ties with influencers who buy followers or have dishonest business models. Because people are increasingly sceptical of influencer marketing, Unilever wants to avoid risking people's trust in one of the fastest-growing areas of advertising.

With athleisure taking the fashion world by storm, brands are struggling to compete in an oversaturated market. UK-based Gymshark has made its mark in the fitness-wear arena by aligning its products to popular YouTube and Instagram influencers to create a cult following of 18-25 year olds.