Influencers are incredibly powerful, but brands need to work with them properly. Image credit: Harrods
This week, the United States' Federal Trade Commission settled its first-ever lawsuit against influencers for not properly disclosing their financial relationship with the product they endorsed.
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","iv":"a36a6de0ac9380cb51b902873da5b606","s":"70226d5fe889835d"}