The headline may be a bit deceiving because some creators have been calling out shady brand practices for some time now on Instagram and YouTube. Recently on TikTok, creators have been maximizing this by naming the companies that encourage creators to do inauthentic things to make sales.
It has even gone as far as creators reading out the contracts these brands provide them, stating that they wanted to promote false information to make their products look desirable.
Yikes!
One thing you can appreciate about Gen Z is that they do not stand for inauthenticity. Luckily, platforms such as TikTok have given them a stronger voice to try to make a change in the creator community.
Many creators today aren’t eager to compromise their integrity for a brand or a paycheck. This means marketers need to approach creators with genuine campaigns and focus on building positive relationships with them.
Building these positive relationships is another way to reduce the risk of being called out on social media. In addition to unethical practices, brands known to be rude and dismissive to their creators shouldn’t be surprised when they have a harder time finding the right ambassadors.
Creators aren’t afraid to lose money over a brand deal that doesn’t align with their values. They would prefer to lose out on the contract and be transparent with their audience than lie to them for a paycheck.
So, this is a friendly warning for marketers and brands to be better and listen to their creators’ feedback. All it takes is one viral video speaking negatively about your brand to damage your reputation.
