Should brands and retailers be concerned about the ‘de-influencing’ trend?
“De-influencing,” trending on TikTok since January, amounts to a backlash against overconsumption caused by social media influencers. Whether it’s bad for the influencer community is up for debate.
The hashtag has amassed nearly 221 million TikTok views.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the “de-influencing” term “is being popularized in videos by people whose experience runs the gamut: disappointed consumers, savvy beauty bloggers, doctors dispelling skin-care myths and former retail employees dishing on which products they saw returned most often.”
In the videos, creators urge viewers not to buy popular products, buy cheaper alternatives, or avoid specific categories altogether. Some criticize the flood of sponsored videos, hyper-enthusiastic TikTok reviews and influencers’ deceptive practices while advocating for thoughtful shopping habits.
Charlotte Palermino, the 35-year-old CEO of skincare brand Dieux, told Wired, “Constantly being sold to is tiring. Being told everything is a miracle product is tiring.”
@alyssastephanie I love deinfluencing ❤️ #deinfluencing #deinfluencergang #cultproduct
The sudden push against overspending is potentially tied to inflationary pressures and economic uncertainty, but it also aligns with younger generations’ interest in conscious consumerism and sustainability.
“I feel like a lot of people, especially Gen Z, they’re a generation that wants to rebel against this like perfectly curated world that has been social media for the past decade,” content creator Josie Bullard tells TODAY.com.
The TikTok platform is becoming more commercialized as influencers become more loyal to their brands than followers. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the influencer marketing industry reached over $16 billion last year, up from $1.6 billion in 2016.
The de-influencing trend may lead to a realignment around authenticity, with influencers focusing more on promoting brands they use personally.
However, the act of de-influencing builds creditability for the poster. Many generating viral posts have seen their follower count mushroom and free products and paid brand requests arrive.
Some are skeptical that influencers are just following the new trend. Mandy Lee, a fashion critic who posted a TikTok video championing the anti-consumption movement, told The Associated Press, “It’s hard for me to trust someone who’s never done a nuanced take about products before, and suddenly they’re doing it now.”
- de-influencing – TikTok
- ‘De-Influencers’ Want You to Think Twice Before Buying That Mascara – The Wall Street Journal
- TikTok’s De-Influencers Tell You What Not to Buy – Wired
- Gen Z and millennials are rejecting consumer culture on TikTok and ‘de-influencing’ to protect their money – Fortune
- 16 Influencer Marketing Trends That Will Shape 2023 – Influencer Marketing Hub
- TikTok ‘de-influencers’ want Gen Z to buy less – and more – AP News
- ‘De-influencing’ is going viral. What does this mean for the future of influencers? – Today.com