China has long paid influencers for posts that are intended to improve the country's image on social media.
But what Dubai has now initiated is something new.
Around the same time that the war in nearby Iran broke out, various platforms were filled with posts from influencers talking about how safe they felt in Dubai – the lion's share of the clips shows well-directed images of the country and the emir and his son, the crown prince.
Most clips are accompanied by lyrics like "I'm not afraid, I know who protects us."
“Obviously orchestrated”
Jonas Colliander, a researcher in marketing and social media at the Stockholm School of Economics, wonders why Dubai has embarked on this PR campaign.
"It is clearly orchestrated by the authorities to counter the negative image of drones and missiles that scare away tourists and investors. It may have some impact on some, but for the vast majority it is clear that the image being presented differs significantly from reality," he says.
I'm surprised they (Dubai) have launched this. No one can answer what they're thinking, but it's almost parodic. I don't understand who they're targeting or what the strategy is.
Many younger people have taken part in the posts that are being spread. Jonas Colliander believes that they are often better than older people at sorting out which posts are obviously sponsored and that younger people are more used to navigating social media.
"The image of younger people being influenced by different narratives should be nuanced a bit," he says.
Setbacks Awaiting?
Research has shown that influencers who try to hide product collaborations on social media can suffer from a loss of trust among followers. Jonas Colliander believes something similar could happen after the Dubai posts.
Reactions are often stronger when people you follow turn out to be dangerously untruthful. It's kind of like if a friend lies to you, you react more than if someone you don't know does. It can backfire on influencers, he says.
