【明報專訊】I first encountered the term "influencer" when I was watching a TV lifestyle show not long ago. It actually focused on the fashion industry, and said its development relied more and more on the social media. To increase its products' branding recognition in the highly competitive global market, fashion companies have young "influencers" act as peer models. They have commentators write blogs and post photos on the social media. The more they write about a brand, the higher level of visibility the brand will have. Unlike traditional marketing strategies, the influencer strategy communicates with hip, youthful, personalised and relatable examples. Taken as a near-pun on the medical term "influenza", the use of "influencer" hints at someone being "infectious" because of their social impact.