THE RISE AND FALL OF the social influencer (A BRIEF HISTORY)

When Zoe Sugg first started talking about her life (and her favourite purchases) on YouTube, it seemed like a refreshingly different way to discover new products, far removed from traditional advertising and refreshingly real.

Of course, it wasn’t meant to last. Brands began sending Zoella and those inspired by her samples of their latest products to try out – and soon realised that they could just pay them to endorse products.

Consumers themselves soon realised what was going on – especially once influencers were required to use hashtags like “#spon” and “#ad” to disclose the true nature of their gleeful endorsements (note: the influencer industry was worth $16 billion in 2022). A backlash against influencers has been building for years, but the cost of living context brought it to a head. When one influencer talked about renting suites at the Savoy to escape broken heating, people snarked. When other influencers were flown out to Dubai by a cosmetics brand, they fumed.

ENTER: THE AGE OF DEINFLUENCE 

At first glance, TikTok may seem like the latest home of conspicuous consumption – there’s a reason my 13-year-old is trying to convince me that the Dyson Airwrap is a worthwhile investment for the entire family (“It curls hair without damaging it!“).

But unlike Instagram (the hub of aspiration), TikTok is also home to a range of critical discourses that question the same trends the platform helps spread. These include thorough, at times pretty critical, product reviews – assessing if expensive products are “worth it” and identifying “dupe” alternatives to coveted products that offer the same quality for less money.

Specifically end of last year, people started talking about their favourite buys of 2022 – but the conversation soon turned to reviews of their most-regretted purchases. Out of this, the term “deinfluence” was born when TikToker Estef posted a video “I’m here to deinfluence you” on January 23, where she went after TikTok favourites like Charlotte Tilbury make up (and, indeed, the Dyson Airwrap).

BUT WAIT – deinfluencing IS ACTUALLY GOOD NEWS

GOOD FOR CONSUMERS

Especially given the Cost of Living context, people are thinking carefully about how to spend their money, and buying products of the same quality for a lesser price is increasingly seen as a point of savviness rather than shame. Deinfluencers can help guide shoppers spend more mindfully and find high quality products that are about more than just the label.

GOOD FOR ONLINE CREATORS

If you’re a certified expert or otherwise established professional with a point of view, now’s your time to start reviewing products. You don’t need a doctorate (though it can help, especially if you’re a medical professional) – you just need proof that you’re providing evidence behind claims, and that you’re not in it to be paid by brands.

GOOD FOR BRANDS

Though deinfluencing is definitely about considered consumption, it’s not necessarily about reducing consumption. Perhaps most tellingly, many videos that purport to deinfluence follow the pattern of “don’t buy this – buy that” (which the below TikTok slightly mocks). Brands selling products with quality proportionate to their price tags are set up to thrive.

AND YES – brands can succeed in the age of deinfluence

Here’s how.

REMEMBER THAT PRODUCT QUALITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

If there’s a gap between your product quality and its cost, people will notice – and they’re likely to talk about it on social media (which is where TikTok comes in again). But it also means that if your product is high quality but at a lower price tag than similar contenders, it has the chance to be hyped up as a hidden treasure (or as a dupe for a more costly equivalent).

CONSIDER HOW TO WORK WITH EXPERT CREATORS RATHER THAN INFLUENCERS

If certified experts and established professionals think your products are great, that’s a much better endorsement than having the latest Love Island contestant post about it in their Instagram story (next to all their other sponsored content).

OVERALL: LEARN FROM WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT YOUR BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Yes, traditional research is essential – but social listening can show you in real time what people (especially experts, but also individuals) are saying about your brand. Do they consider the quality proportionate to the cost? Are you sleeping on any hidden gems? Just make sure not to let one isolated opinion inform your entire approach…

There are also specific implications for what deinfluencing means for premium brands – so watch this space for more.