Are we falling out of love with influencers?
From extravagant PR gifts to a lack of authenticity, are we suffering from influencer fatigue?
If you've been on TikTok lately you would have seen the vending machine (yes, a vending machine!) that the brand Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand, are sending to influencers homes in celebration of the Super Bowl weekend.
The marketing move to send influencers these branded vending machines has got so people talking, with so many conflicting opinions. Some people are annoyed about overconsumption when it comes to PR items and some people want the machine themselves.
So did they achieve the objective of the stunt?
In short terms yes; they got people talking. Ever heard of the phrase ‘any press is good press’. Stunts like these are done to go viral; which Poppi did. And Influencers are the perfect people to help achieve brand awareness and in conversion in sales due the established trust with audiences.
The reason why people love influencers so much is about proximity. Influencers tend to feel like more relatable and credible sources. Like a friend recommending you a new blush or a new pair of boots. Whereas celebrities don't have that relatability aspect; we are less likely to believe celebs selling us something. However, as the influencer landscape changes so does the trust in influencers.
There is growing skepticism about the authenticity of influencers due to excessive sponsored content (making people doubt their credibility) and unrealistic lifestyles (presenting heavily curated and idealised versions of themselves). Birthed through this wavering trust between influencers and consumers, is the idea of ‘deinfluencing’ encouraging people to be more mindful about purchases instead of believing in hype or ads from influencers.
When we look at Poppi’s marketing stunt it feeds into the skepticism of influencers. In the current climate of distrust in influencer marketing, where audiences value authenticity and relatability, receiving a vending machine is anything but. It comes across as gimmicky, out of touch and excessive.