100% agree!
It's such an important tool to make sure both brands and creators are on the same page.
It's also one of the few things that's ok to distribute en masse to creators that you partner with without necessarily needing any personalization!
It really is a bit unsettling to see the dead internet theory play out over on Twitter/X, in particular on the business side.
Every reply is either auto-generated or so generic and value-lacking ("Best list of tools!" or "Thanks for sharing!", etc).
What happened to genuine conversations?
This was 100% preventable.
All Honey had to do was exactly what they claimed to do: help people save money.
Instead, they've become a case study in how NOT to handle influencer partnerships.
Your relationship with creators isn't just some marketing channel. It's a bridge between you and their audience that's built on trust.
And like any bridge, once broken, it's incredibly difficult to rebuild.
The real tragedy?
- Welcome tough questions from creators.
- Document and share your ethical practices.
- Be transparent about your product / service.
- Make it easy for creators to verify your business claims.
In other words: BE HONEST.
Every time a brand betrays consumer trust like this, it makes audiences more skeptical of all partnerships.
So what's the lesson for brands?
Well...aside from, DON'T ENGAGE IN PREDATORY BUSINESS PRACTICES!
*ahem*
It's simple:
But here's what's truly devastating.
Honey hasn't just irreparably damaged their own reputation. They've undermined the trust that audiences have with every creator that promoted them.
These aren't small creators either. They're some of the most trusted voices in tech and entertainment.
(Make sure to watch his YouTube video titled "๐๐
๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ" for an in-depth breakdown of his investigation as to how the scam works.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4y...
They claimed over and over again that they "save" you money by "scouring the internet for discount codes."
And in just 23 minutes, YouTuber and Tech Journalist, MegaLag, completely exposes their LIES and DECEPTION.
I'm talking about none other than ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐.
Yes, the browser extension, Honey.
For years, they've worked with the biggest influencers to promote their extension: from MrBeast and Linus Tech Tips to Pokimane and MKBHD.
How to RUIN your company's reputation in 23 minutes.
And it's 100% preventable.
๐งต
Thanks for reading!
If you liked this, then please:
1) Hit the Follow button for more content like this.
2) Share this with someone you think it might help.
The future of influencer marketing won't be about star power.
It's about trust, engagement, and real connections.
If you stick with creators that talk TO their audience, not just AT them, and you'll be setting yourself up for success.
3) ๐ง๐ฟ๐๐๐ & ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ > ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐. More and more consumers are turning towards real user reviews over celebrity promotions that they know isn't from their personal experience.
2) ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ข๐. You're paying for reach you don't need.
A $100k celebrity video might reach 10M+ people, but only 0.1% are your target audience.
1) ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. A massive following inevitably comes with decreased engagement.
When's the last time you saw a celebrity actually respond to comments?
Celebrity influencers are costing you a ton of money!
And it's not just my opinion. NP Digital's research backs this up.
Celebrities: -59% ROI
Micro-Influencers: +37% ROI
Talk about a big disparity in both audience size and ROI!
But, why is that? ๐งต
I 100% agree with you.
There's a time and place for leveraging celebrity appearances for marketing.
That...just wasn't one of those situations. ๐
Thanks for reading!
If you liked this, then please:
1) Hit the Follow button for more content like this.
2) Share this with someone you think it might help.
When you're trying to generate revenue, the best influencer campaigns aren't about partnering with the biggest creators.
It's about who has the best relationship with your target audience.
...a brand's campaign strategy isn't aligned with its goals, and they try to skip audience relationship-building to jump right to generating revenue; hoping that virality and star-power bridges that gap.
Virality =/= Revenue
Followers =/= Customers
Fame =/= Fit
"While our unique marketing campaigns raised brand awareness of Solo Stove to an expanded and new audience of consumers, it did not lead to the sales lift that we had planned, which, combined with the increased marketing investments, negatively impacted our EBITDA,"
This is what happens when...
I'm talking about Solo Stoves partnering with Snoop Dogg.
Snoop was fantastic; the driving force behind it reaching #18 on Ad Age's list of The 40 Best Ads of 2023.
They even gained 60k Followers on social media just days after the ad dropped.
But when it came to sales, their CFO said this...
Last year, I watched a brand blow $10M on an influencer campaign that generated lackluster sales.
They hired one of the biggest names in pop culture, crossing their fingers that it'd work.
It didn't.
๐งต
I think you make a good point, but I would make one minor tweak.
Attention = Currency
Brand = Wealth
If attention is the new modern form of currency,
then does that mean influencers are the richest in society? ๐ค
I would've loved to see an LCD display built into the bus, and when the doors open and close, it makes it look like a Jedi is using the force to do so.
I actually blame Free to Play games for killing that advertising talking point.
Now "X hours of playtime" makes it sound like you're getting LESS of a game, because it implies your fun and entertainment will end at some point.
Free to Play? INFINITE playtime.
Ooh, definitely good to know. Thanks!
Do I need to post every single day at the same exact time?
Can I post a bunch of short content on any given day, and then take it easy for the next couple of following days.
I think this would not only be a good test of BlueSky's algorithm, but also a test of what society innately wants to see. ๐ค