Understanding Deinfluencing as a Counter to Consumerism

In the recent past, a new trend has taken over TikTok: De-influencing, with the hashtag generating over 160 million videos. When the trend originally started, creators would share about the brands they would not buy or discourage buyers from overindulging in them. However, with the trend becoming more popular, nearly every niche has an influencing video.

For instance, there are de-influencing videos of gamers showing microphones and headsets that weren't worth the money. Similarly, there are videos of Sephora staff showing videos of shitty makeup products. Dermatologists, too, are showing videos of products that aren't worth the money. There are even wedding planners discussing #deinfluencing in the industry.

What is De-influencing?

De-influencing is a recent social media trend where popular content creators advise their followers on the products and services to avoid buying. While the trend started in the lifestyle and beauty niche, it has grown to other categories, such as fashion and technology.  The creators discuss products they feel aren't worth buying, such as expensive gadgets or cosmetics. They critically encourage consumers to analyze their wants versus needs to, therefore, avoid excessive and wasteful spending.

Why the Skepticism Around Influencing?

De-influencing has risen as an alternative to influencing. While influencers tell social media users what to buy, de-influencing tells them what not to buy. That means de-influencing has risen as a result of the downsides of influencing.  

One of the notable downsides of influencer marketing is the lack of authenticity in influencer recommendations. For instance, a popular influencer, Mikayla Nogueira, was noted to be wearing false eyelashes in a L’Oreal Mascara video. In what was termed the MascaraGate, the video went viral, and social media users felt they could no longer trust influencer’s opinions, especially since they benefited financially when recommending.

Does it mean that influencer marketing on Instagram no longer works? Not really. This is because de-influencing videos are evolving and now advising consumers on what to buy instead of something else. However, influencer marketing will evolve and the audience must trust the creators they follow or the brand they promote. Some brands also use de-influencing to build the trust of their audience. It can be among the top Instagram growth strategies.

How De-influencing Will Affect Influencer Marketing

De-influencing has impacted how influencer marketing is done, advocating for transparency and helpful spending. The fast-rising marketing trend on Instagram is challenging and traditional influencer models often revolve around promoting a product through positive reviews and endorsement. De-influencing has affected influencer marketing in different ways, such as:

Increased Credibility and Trust

De-influencers focus on providing their audience with an honest and transparent review of a product, which helps them gain their followers' trust. By discussing the limitations and drawbacks of certain products, the influencers provide a balanced perspective to their followers, improving credibility.

For instance, when a beauty influencer buys a product, and it doesn't work, they can create an Instagram video, sharing reasons why the product didn't work and recommend alternatives. This level of transparency and honesty easily gains the trust of their audience compared to the traditional influencer marketing on Instagram, where only the positive attributes of a product are displayed. Therefore, influencers can easily create stronger and more trusting relationships.

Content Creation Shift

In traditional influencer marketing, influencers create promotional posts that hide the negative side of a product. However, content created on de-influencing usually balances promotional posts with critical evaluation, causing significant social media marketing. De-influencing videos also resonate well with the audience that seeks honest and relatable opinions.

As influencers become aware of the trend, they are also changing their content creation methods to provide a balanced review of products, including their drawbacks. By doing that, they discourage impulse buying and encourage consumers to think critically before buying the product.

How Brand Collaboration is Impacted

Traditional advertising involves brands positioning themselves as the best in the industry with no downsides. However, this is changing as brands are now valuing authentic endorsements. They are adjusting their marketing strategies to reflect the change. Instead of focusing on promotional partnerships, they collaborate with influencers to provide honest and balanced reviews.

The approach shows how transparency can improve consumer trust and credibility. When an influencer offers an honest review of the product, this bolsters their credibility and shows the brand’s credibility. That means consumers tend to buy and trust brands that show honesty and embrace constructive criticism. It helps to foster long-term and genuine relationships between influencers, brands, and followers.

Empowering Consumers

De-influencing empowers consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions, encouraging skepticism and critical thinking before buying overly promoted products. When engaging in de-influencing, influencers get an honest opinion and detailed review showing the product's strengths and weaknesses.

For instance, by sharing their experience of popular products that don't meet expectations, followers get a clearer picture of any potential downside. This minimizes the risk of impulse buying and enables consumers to evaluate their needs and preferences before buying a product or a service.

Environmental and Economic Impact

De-influencing also  impacts the economy and environment. When consumers reduce their spending, it minimizes unnecessary buying, reduces wastage, and promotes sustainability. De-influencers often caution their followers to avoid high-cost items.

In addition to the financial benefits, it helps improve environmental conservation by minimizing the production and disposal of superfluous items. Fewer products are made, resulting in lower waste generation and resource allocation. The shift ensures a sustainable lifestyle with more environmentally-conscious consumers. They prioritize long-lasting products instead of trendy and short-lived items.

Influencer Role Diversification

De-influencers focusing on customer advocacy and critical review are reshaping the influencer market by introducing new roles on honesty and transparency. The creators usually make anti-haul videos highlighting overhyped and unnecessary products, enabling their followers to make informed decisions.

With the diversification resulting from de-influencing, the influencer market has expanded, providing solutions to social media users who need critical evaluation and authenticity. This also encourages trust between influencers and their followers.

A Shift in Audience Expectations

De-influencing has increased the expectation level of audiences. When influencers consistently post overly promotional content without showing the drawbacks of a product, they get a backlash from their audience. Social media users often consider such content to be potentially misleading and disingenuous.

This improved scrutiny encourages influencers to make a conscious choice of products to endorse to increase trust and credibility. De-influencers aim to be more balanced and provide both sides of a product, which can, therefore, help increase the number of followers on Instagram. With the audience's expectations changing, influencers prioritize authenticity and transparency, ensuring they offer real insights and values instead of serving as a promotional channel.

Final Thoughts 

De-influencing has impacted influencer marketing as it offers a counter to consumerism. It encourages social media users to reduce impulse buying and only buy products they need. This has impacted brands and influencer marketing. Therefore, they need to change how they do influencer marketing.