The English expression ‘to throw someone under the bus’ best describes the moves of content creators on social platforms who have decided to put an end to the praises of certain products and dismantle the myth of them as the holy grail of the industry. Under the virtual wheels of the bus, esteemed beauty-brands such as Olaplex, Charlotte Tilbury, Too Faced, Dyson, and many luxury brands whose creams and serums cost several hundred dollars have found themselves. Since most of these products became popular precisely because of influencers who use and advertise them, their exposure and criticism has been termed deinfluencing.
Thousands of TikTok and Instagram users have decided to create deinfluencing videos, celebrating this movement as they claim it undermines consumerism and educates the audience about better and much more affordable alternatives to renowned products and brands. Although these users directly undermine influencers, there is little chance that they will kill the entire influencer culture, let alone consumerism, and more likely that they themselves will become part of yet another consumer trend.
‘Building’ Trust
As reported in its analysis by the media house CBC, deinfluencing is nothing more than a new strategy for content creation. As the cost of living rises, creators are trying to find ways to increase their follower count while also building trust among those who can no longer afford expensive products for which influencers receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for promotion.
By the beginning of last week, hashtag #deinfluencing had gathered over 230 million views and is becoming more popular every day. This is not surprising as creators of such videos not only criticize certain (expensive) products but also promote good, cheaper options. And users trust them. Which is no small thing. Indeed, trust is the strongest currency in the world of influencers, and deinfluencing, as paradoxical as it may sound, is the best tool for ‘building’ it. CBC compares this to visiting boutiques where customers are more likely to trust a salesperson who, for example, says that a certain color does not look best on them and then offers an alternative, rather than one who expresses enthusiasm for every piece of clothing the customer tries on. Also, deinfluencing creators have emerged at a time when the virtual world began to feel saturated with classic beauty influencers.
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In January, Tarte Cosmetics decided to take some of the most influential ‘beauty influencers’ on a trip to Dubai, but this move backfired on them. Before the pandemic, such practices were common: brands spent millions of dollars to take famous Instagrammers, TikTokers, and YouTubers on luxury trips during which they pampered them in unimaginable ways, but at this moment, users condemned such wastefulness, calling it tasteless and ignorant.
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The magazine Dazed highlighted several recent examples that point to fatigue with influential figures in the beauty world, as well as a rapid loss of trust among their followers. For instance, in January of this year, Tarte Cosmetics decided to take some of the most influential beauty influencers on a trip to Dubai, but this move backfired (on the organizers and travelers). Before the pandemic, such practices were completely normal: brands spent millions of dollars to take famous Instagrammers, TikTokers, and YouTubers on luxury trips during which they pampered them in unimaginable ways, but at this moment, users condemned such wastefulness, calling it tasteless and ignorant. Indeed, so many users around the world can barely make ends meet, while they indulge in debauchery in Dubai!
‘Beauty’ Flood
In addition to influencers regretting that unfortunate trip organized by Tarte, it turned out that they fail to justify the money spent. Although influencers like Addison Rae or Hyram Yarbro have millions of followers, the sales of their beauty-products have underperformed, leading the chain Sephora to decide to remove them from their offerings. Furthermore, more and more users are realizing (hallelujah!) that influencer photos are photoshopped, that brands pay them well to advertise their products, and that many posts do not indicate that they are sponsored. The loss of trust among consumers is best illustrated by the case of ‘MascaraGate’ when beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira, with 14 million followers on TikTok, posted a video review of L’Oréal’s Telescopic Lift mascara. While she was narrating the magical effects of the mascara, some users noticed that she was wearing false eyelashes in the video. Although she denied it, the video gathered as many as 56 million views (significantly more than her average).
Many wanted to prove that she was wrong and bought the mascara, which they ended up liking, while others attacked both the influencer and the company and the entire concept of reviewing products from brands with which they have sponsorship agreements. Now, this is where deinfluencers come into play, who, in addition to the increasingly poor image of beauty influencers, also exploit the fact that on social media, ‘negative’ content records double the engagement rate compared to positive content. In other words, negativity or, in this case, statements that a certain brand is not worth that money are trusted more than when a brand is praised. This is read as honesty, while influencers’ full mouths of praise are seen as ‘they are paid to say that.’
Reverse Psychology
Interestingly, the brand Taco Bell used this very reverse psychology to advertise its fast Mexican food chain. For this occasion, they engaged singer Doja Cat, who was tasked with sharing videos with followers in which she attempts to compose a jingle for the brand. The marketers’ instruction was not to say how great it is, but rather the opposite, that it is endlessly tedious. Taco Bell’s move is being called ‘deinfluencing before deinfluencing,’ and it seems that bolder brands will follow this example, making deinfluencing a marketing trend. As for the current deinfluencers on social platforms, users should also be cautious with their content. Yes, their idea is to dismantle the myth of renowned products, but it is also not impossible that some will use this to promote products for which they are paid to advertise. Also, despite creators claiming they are dismantling consumerism, most offer alternative products, thus encouraging consumption. Regardless of whether that money is better spent, the fact remains that it is still consumption, but also – influencing.
In other words, deinfluencers are also influencers whose incomes will also grow in line with the growth of the industry. According to the latest estimates from the Influencer Marketing Hub, the influencer market grew to $16.4 billion in 2022, and by the end of this year, it will grow to $21.1 billion. Therefore, if you are a user, be cautious with deinfluencers as well. If you are a marketer, it is indeed worth keeping an eye on this burning trend that promotes anti-consumerism only in idea.
