4/4/23, 1:40 AM The De-influencing trend: authentic or just another route to overconsumption?

| Evening Standard

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De-influencing: revolutionary and authentic — or just

another route to overconsumption?
Touted as anti-consumerism and sustainable, de-influencing is gathering pace on social media
but is it too good to be true?

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BY MARTHA ALEXANDER
22 Feb 2023
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4/4/23, 1:40 AM The De-influencing trend: authentic or just another route to overconsumption? | Evening Standard

media, you’ll doubtless be thrilled with the de-influencing trend.

Essentially an uptick in social media creators telling their online audiences

what not to buy or recommending cheap alternatives to pricey wonder
products, de-influencing is flipping the script on traditional social media sales
and marketing.

“De-influencing began as an attempt to use social media to promote

understanding about the close relationships between fast-fashion, fast-beauty,
and unethical labour exploitation and the profligate utilisation of resources,”
6
explains Alex Carapiet, head of social at student and Gen Z marketing agency
Seed, adding that the general public have also begun to “question the over-
hyped product reviews that flood their feeds”.
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4/4/23, 1:40 AM The De-influencing trend: authentic or just another route to overconsumption? | Evening Standard

One of the main reasons that de-influencing is taking hold now is the ongoing
cost-of-living crisis. Many people find it unseemly and crass for influencers to
recommend their followers buy wax melts or watches or protein powders (that
they are not only gifted but paid to promote) when some people can’t afford to
eat. And most people are actively looking for ways to save money at the
moment.

Then there is also kickback in overconsumption in general, not least because

of how bad it is for the environment.

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4/4/23, 1:40 AM The De-influencing trend: authentic or just another route to overconsumption? | Evening Standard

But of the biggest reasons de-influencing is a thing right now is because we’re
hungry for authenticity, having lived on a diet of #sponcon and paid
partnerships. There is a trust issue between influencers and influencees. This
goes hand-in-hand with a general feeling of malaise about living in a culture
where we are sold to constantly.

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Room Unlocked — a platform overhauling influencer marketing — found that

64 per cent of Brits say they have lost respect for influencers that are driven by
commercial gain, and believe they lack authenticity.

“Authenticity is one of the most over-used words within influencer marketing

but it remains the most crucial,” says Carapiet. “And the wider de-influencing
phenomenon is a manifestation of an industry that has recently struggled with
genuine authenticity as more and more people wish to become influencers,
and more brands wish to utilise the influence they wield.”

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4/4/23, 1:40 AM The De-influencing trend: authentic or just another route to overconsumption? | Evening Standard

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De-influencing seems rooted with TikTok beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira,

who was recently roundly criticised for wearing fake eyelashes in a video
showcasing a mascara she was paid to promote. It was this instance that
seemed to mark the beginning of #deinfluencing videos which have had some
206.5 million views on TikTok.

And TikTok creators seem delighted to be able to give two thumbs down to
products that are, as one influencer put it, “absolute f**king dog s**t”. 6

So, is de-influencing bad news for the beauty industry – which works closely
with influencers to sell products?
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4/4/23, 1:40 AM The De-influencing trend: authentic or just another route to overconsumption? | Evening Standard

Not according to Sophie Attwood, a communications expert specialising

within the beauty, wellness, and medical aesthetics industries, who believes
excellent products with sound claims have nothing to hide. “The fundamentals
of PR should always focus on authenticity and trust so the de-influencing
movement is one that I really do welcome with open arms,” she says.

“The 24/7 scrutiny of social media means that lies and mistruths are always
going to be called out. It is simply not in any brand’s best interests to rely on an
unethical PR strategy — and that includes an influencer strategy built up of
false influencer endorsements.”

Rachel Flynn, account manager at PR and marketing agency Four Media

Group agrees, adding that this is a “shift in influencing as we know it”,
particularly with environmental issues in mind.

“Whilst I don’t believe de-influencing was created with sustainability in mind

– I’m excited to see what de-influencing can help us achieve in terms of
becoming more green-focused,” she says. “Whether it’s raising awareness of
fast fashion or unsustainable beauty products, it’s an exciting time for the
industry.”

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4/4/23, 1:40 AM The De-influencing trend: authentic or just another route to overconsumption? | Evening Standard

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PR expert Rachel Flynn / Rachel Flynn

To be clear, this is not the end of the influencer. If you think you’ve seen the
back of “so a few of you have been asking about my skincare routine” videos,
think again. De-influencing is still influencing. It is still about recommending
and selling, it is still a consumerist tool. What we can expect, though, is
influencers adopting a more authentic stance in a bid to ensure followers trust
them. This is, of course, done as much to protect their incomes as to be
morally sound but at least it’s a step up from being paid a fortune to blithely
recommend some sub-par fake tan to hundreds of thousands of people.

Whether de-influencing is just another short-lived TikTok trend or a long-term

shift, what is clear is that it has started a much-needed conversation about how
we buy.
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