In the era of hyper-connected capitalism, beauty has become a marketing object like never before. Having an attractive appearance is an asset that influencers do not hesitate to exploit, especially in the fitness sector. An attractive face and body drive clicks, enhance content, and ultimately generate more revenue. However, this trend seems to have reached its peak. According to the latest research presented by the media Ars Technica, being too attractive can now be detrimental to the business of fitness influencers on social networks.
Researchers specializing in consumer behavior call this phenomenon “beauty boomerang effect”which can be translated as “flashback of beauty”. Their series of experiments involved giving fake Instagram accounts of fitness influencers to hundreds of participants. All posted identical content with only one variation: the perceived attractiveness of the influencer’s face and body, determined from independent evaluations.
The results were clear: influencers who were described as “very interesting” received fewer likes and subscriptions than those who were considered “only interesting”. Participants reported that they felt their self-esteem decrease after viewing these types of profiles, while viewing an influencer rated as averagely good-looking, in contrast, increased their self-confidence.
Humility: a new communication strategy?
The researchers explain this result simply: it is more difficult to identify the most beautiful influencers. Being confronted with images of perfect bodies, sculpted to extremes, is more discouraging than inspiring. The viewer feels overwhelmed, and the goal (lose weight, gain muscle mass) turns into an unattainable ideal. This phenomenon is based on social comparison theory, which states that individuals judge themselves based on other people.
The researchers emphasize that this backlash is inevitable. When a highly engaging influencer appears closer to his audience, looking humble, sharing his hardships, his wounds, his failures or his moments of doubt, the complexities disappear. On the other hand, an arrogant and not very transparent influencer, who boasts about his extraordinary talent or discipline, increases the distance with the audience. Therefore, humility will be a real communication tool to appear more human, more accessible to individuals in general.
Many content creators have understood this, and don’t hesitate to post photos of their less flattering physiques, more natural and less staged life moments, often even playing the total transparency card: “Don’t believe everything you see online, we’re not all perfect, look how doubtful I am and how bloated my stomach is in the morning.”
The researchers added that gender plays an important role in this phenomenon, and it is women who suffer the most. Those considered highly attractive experience more pronounced rejection than men, who are quicker to identify with the “perfect” model. Other visible characteristics, such as parentage or disability, will also impact our perceptions.
