Be brutally honest now. How often have you been influenced to buy something despite having plenty of skincare products on the shelves and a functioning kitchen robot? Well, if you calculated everything correctly and can consider yourself to be a marketing victim then congratulations! Because social media and brands just invented a new trick to sell you more unwanted products and keep you in the same routine.
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De-influencing, which is another trend that emerged from TikTok, has become a buzzword in social media and across numerous news platforms in recent months. The idea behind this trend is very simple, popular creators with huge audiences (sometimes even regular users) film a video where they tell you which mainstream products are just not worth buying. As of April 12, #deinfluencing videos had racked up roughly 487 million views on TikTok.
Now, overall the original purpose of this whole movement is appreciable. In the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt mania days, when people impulsively purchased items featured in viral creator videos, the Deinfluencing trend served as a great response. Presently Gen Z is increasingly exchanging overconsumption for more sustainable and thoughtful shopping habits. Plus, with the economy still in a tough spot, people are tightening their belts and being more conscious of where their money is going.
So yes, the trend is useful and conveys the message to combat rampant consumerism and promote a more sustainable and mindful approach to our purchases. But how many influencers are actually doing this trend right?
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If you were to look up videos with the deinfluencing hashtag, you would most likely come across a content creator with a couple of hundred followers explaining why you shouldn’t invest in that Dior blush. However, immediately after, they proceed to recommend an alternative option that is more affordable and delivers superior pigmentation. What a brilliant influence marketing strategy!
It's not about mindful consumption. It's not about sustainability. It's simply influencing rebranded for the recession era.
- Alexandra Koster
While #deinfluencing seems like a pushback against traditional influencer marketing, it's still a form of influencing. Creators are using their power to sway their audience's purchase decisions, just in a different way. How can be something called de-influencing if they’re just encouraging you to buy different products?
So why does this trend matter for marketers? Well, especially when aiming to reach Gen Z and millennials audiences, creators and influencers have emerged as crucial components of brands' social commerce strategies. In 2023, TikTok will be a major driver of social commerce sales and buyer growth. With social commerce sales in the United States expected to grow three times faster than total e-commerce sales this year, reaching $68.92 billion, marketers must evaluate their influencer marketing strategies to ensure they're partnering with the right creators and not overwhelming their audience with sponsored content.
The #deinfluencing trend is a reflection of modern consumer preferences for more conscious and sustainable habits. It's a good reminder for all of us to consider the impact of our purchases and not let influencers establish our spending patterns. And for marketers, it's a chance to rethink their influencer marketing strategies and focus on building genuine relationships with creators and their followers.
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