The rise and "fall" of Ferragnez: when a click is enough

It is the oldest story in the world, at least as far as the limelight and success are concerned: the distance between the glory of the altars and the dust is very small. In short, to use a proverb, it really takes nothing to go from "riches to rags". Nowadays all it takes is one click. A simple "touch" on the smartphone or computer, but repeated by millions of followers, marks success; the same gesture can decree the end of a media phenomenon, transforming one-way paeans into digital pillory, or rather into shitstorm.

This is what happened to Chiara Ferragni and her husband (or ex-husband) Fedez in the space of a few days between the end of 2023 and 2024. On 15 December 2023 Ferragni, at the height of her success, was fined by the Antitrust for misleading promotion. The accusation is that of having passed off a commercial operation linked to a famous brand of pandori as a charity initiative aimed at the treatment of children suffering from cancer.

In a very short time, the web population and that (majority) part of the media world that had uncritically idolized the most famous of fashion bloggers changes their "digital mood". They discover that the king, or rather the queen, is naked and that for a long time it was believed to be a fairy tale or a farce, whatever you want to call it. The crash sends into crisis an empire that seemed glittering and very solid, that of the Ferragnez, with 45 million followers. Yet, the signs of an imminent fall were there for all to see, like the sovereign's nakedness in the famous tale. The journalist Selvaggia Lucarelli tells it in her "Il vaso di pandoro" (PaperFirst, 2024, euro 16, pp. 250. Also Ebook), placing first of all the emphasis on some disturbing "signs" linked to the most famous and envied couple of the digital world: from the overexposure of minors, in this case the Ferragnez children, to the compulsive display of privilege, from calculated activism to charity too often linked to commercial or otherwise unclear logic.

Lucarelli's book thus retraces the recent history of the most discussed media phenomenon in the country, imposing a reflection that is neither simple nor banal on the ability of the web to influence our choices, our habits, the myths that we choose as points of reference. Remember some sacrosanct truths that we too often forget when we are faced with the virtual and digital. For example, that those who become influencers are increasingly "people like us", sometimes boys and girls who have developed a particular skill and are very good at presenting themselves online through social channels. They take care of their presence on digital platforms in a professional (sometimes obsessive!) manner to create a bond of trust with their audience and not be quickly forgotten. For this reason they are perfect for the strategies of a commercial company, becoming a "tool" at the service of the market and companies, which generally have only one objective: to sell.

But how is it possible that so much trust is given to an influencer? How can people be influenced so deeply as often happens when faced with influencers? Those who have studied this phenomenon maintain that, amidst the confusion of the Internet and its storm of information, the influencer is perceived or perceived a bit like a guide, a compass: he says what you should wear, listen to, look at; reveals how to make other people appreciate you or how to get by in embarrassing situations; that is, it offers clear models to follow in order to be "winning". This would explain, therefore, why they are listened to on every occasion.

Everything seems natural and spontaneous: the influencer, with the communication style that distinguishes him, instead of transmitting one of his contents, talks about a particular product or service. He illustrates its characteristics, presents its qualities and recommends it to all his followers. He can also do it in an informal context, outdoors or in a club, as if he were posting content by chance. But is all this spontaneity real? Often or almost always not, because Ferragni and company are paid handsomely to promote companies. That is, there is a professional relationship in which a client financially rewards those who work for him. The more "strong" the influencer is - that is, he has a trusted and numerous audience - the greater his impact will be, which has little to do with the spontaneity of a disinterested comment. And this is an element that we must never forget when we "consume" the contents promoted by our favorite influencers. Ferragni knew this very well and always played with the ambiguous trust he instilled while millions of followers allowed themselves to be "played". This is why Lucarelli's book concerns everyone and very closely.