What we can learn from the deinfluencing trend
The counter culture has officially come for influencers. Sort of.
The digital marketing world has been abuzz with chatter around the phenomenon of “deinfluencing.”
Deinfluencing takes the concept of social media “influence” and turns it on its head (again, sort of). Rather than hauls encouraging consumption or product recommendations, deinfluencing is when creators discourage their audience from buying things they don’t need, especially if they are pricey. For instance in this video with over 2 million views the creator (@michelleskidelsky) speaks sternly to the camera about avoiding the Dyson Air Wrap, influencer vitamins and supplements, and trendy clothing because “if you’re anything like [her] you feel fear anytime you check your bank account.”
TikTok is the platform where deinfluencing seems to have gained the most steam. It all started in January with “#MascaraGate” when a prominent TikToker Mikayla Nogueira caught flak for allegedly using false eyelashes in a video promoting L’oreal mascara.
The minor scandal raised concerns about the credibility of influencer recommendations, especially on platforms like TikTok and its notoriously black-boxed but heavily editorialized algorithm. As many began to critique influencer culture for being largely based in pushing products and consumerism, #deinfluencing grew. In fact, hashtag #deinfleuncing now, has over 596 million views on TikTok!
Originally, the idea behind “deinfluencing” was to promote conscious consumption in the face of a looming recession and fears of waste due to overconsumption. However, what started out as a capitalist critique has morphed back into product recommendations. Many, such as Buzzfeed’s Stephanie McNeal are pointing out that “Deinfluencing is Really Just Influencing.” However there are still a few things we can learn from the massive trend:
1. Consumers are price conscious and expect creators to be sensitive to that
While #mascaragate marked an especially divisive flashpoint, it’s representative of a larger critique of influencer culture and the consumerism it promotes. Similar to how we saw consumers reject aspirational content and creators at the beginning of the pandemic, a looming recession is having a similar effect. Common influencer colloqualisms like “must-haves,” “you need this,” “go buy this right now” are not as enticing as consumers tighten their belts.
ADVICE FOR BRANDS: Going into a potential recession, it's important that brands continue to communicate to customers that they understand where they’re at with more inclusiveness and sensitivity in their advertising.
2. Trust is as important as ever, do TikTokers have it?
The influencer-audience relationship is built entirely on trust. Back in the heyday of beauty YouTube top creators like Tati would vehemently insist that their reviews weren’t sponsored. Whether or not this was completely accurate 100% of the time, it set the expectation that influencers would be honestly critiquing or praising the products they talked about. They relied on their loyal subscribers to come back repeatedly and led with honest reviews.
In the era of the TikTok fyp, creators are at the mercy of the algorithm which audiences know TikTok manipulates frequently (allegedly). To the audience it seems like rather than trying to please their audience–who might not see their content anyways given TikTok’s notoriously finicky algorithm–creators try to please the brands who are paying them and making their jobs possible.
ADVICE FOR BRANDS: Think of creators (especially those with huge Short-form based followings like Mikayla) as great for getting the message out there but not as trusted by audiences. While this works for brands like L’oreal, smaller brands must be especially selective in choosing influencers who will accurately and authentically represent their product.
3. On TikTok especially, framing is everything
No matter what you think of the deinfluencing trend, you have to admire the way it made the old concept of “influencing'' feel fresh and exciting. While the term “deinfluencing” has gotten all the shine the real star of the show was the hook that the videos often started with: “do not buy these.” It’s simple, concise, and to-the-point.
ADVICE FOR BRANDS: Remember the fickle algorithm we mentioned in learning number 2? Well it applies here as well. The first 3 seconds of your video are so important to hooking audiences by framing the payoff they will get, in this case it’s tips to save cash.
Megan Collins is a Gen Z expert and Cultural Insights Analyst and a regular contributor to the M.T. Deco Blog.