The world of social media influencers is the internet. They film and photograph themselves, post the pictures on social media platforms, and earn money—a lot of money.

But what exactly is influencer marketing? Shameless product placement? Are the so-called followers nothing more than uncritical consumers? Is influencer marketing the new megatrend in the advertising industry, or is it all just hype, a phenomenon of our time?

Filmmaker Christian Rösch delves into a world that is difficult for many to understand. He speaks with experts in prevention and marketing and takes a look behind the scenes at the biggest stars of the Swiss influencer scene.

In the summer of 2018, the "social media influencer" became the buzzword among marketing and communications professionals. Within a short time, "influencer marketing" became a billion-dollar business. This year, experts predict a turnover of 5 to 10 billion dollars. Companies are trying to influence the purchasing decisions of young customers they can no longer reach through traditional advertising channels.

When Instagrammer Zeki Bulgurcu, with his 1.2 million followers in German-speaking Switzerland, uploads an advertising video to social media, it gets 25,000 views within ten minutes, and he gets paid for it.

When YouTuber Julia Graf discusses lipsticks in her makeup videos, cosmetic companies approach her to recommend their products to her approximately 800,000 subscribers.

But what effect does this have on young people who spend hours every day on Instagram following the idealized images of their idols? And how do the influencers themselves cope with the pressure to always be perfectly styled and keep their fans engaged?

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