A fundamental part of the social media setup is the influencers. It will not be an exaggeration to state that they have become more or less, glossy channels of marketing. However, being an influencer is not as easy as it sounds. Behind the fancy labels and brands and content, there lie some less-than-ideal realities that are rarely talked about. However, a certain TikToker has come forward, calling out a brand for not paying her sponsored content beyond two pairs of free tights. The free tights have gotten the brand in a tight situation, and as usual, this has sparked a debate on the platform. Read along to know more.
A ‘Tight’ Situation
Companies ‘gifting’ influencers free products in exchange for social media content is quite normal in the creator economy. However, it can become a source of frustration, particularly for micro-influencers who are still trying to make a place for themselves in the already crowded creator landscape.
A TikToker named Renee Rodriguez directed strong criticism at the clothing brand Sheertex for their approach towards sponsored content which is less than ideal. The video posted in October garnered over 600,000 views on TikTok bringing under the radar the whole process of whitelisting.
Rodriguez stated that the clothing brand offered her two pairs of tights worth $50 each in exchange for a single TikTok video. Rodriguez further explains why this offer is not viable for her as it would require her to pay taxes on those items as the rules require her to pay tax for any gifts that are worth more than $100.
“So essentially, I am paying to work for free,” Rodriguez said in the video.
Although Rodriguez declined the offer through an email, the clothing brand replied with a 12-page creative brief in case she changed her mind. As per the brief, the creators are asked for either a TikTok video or an Instagram reel in addition to one year of usage rights over the TikTok or the Reel.
“They also had instructions on how to authorize whitelisting for Instagram and TikTok, which means that they are prepared to pay platforms like Instagram and TikTok to run my content as a paid ad, but they won’t pay me – the person who actually created the content,” Rodriguez added.
What Is Whitelisting
Whitelisting is nothing but the process wherein the influencer gives their branding partner advertising permission over their social media accounts. This means that the brand will have free reign over the influencer’s social media accounts which they could use for advertising and promoting their products.
Rodriguez specifically stated in the video that what is exasperating is the fact that these brands make huge sums in profits and yet they underpay the creators. Two pairs of tights are barely any compensation for the content they are willing to pay for on TikTok and Instagram.
While a good majority of the commenters supported Rodriguez, there were a couple of them who criticized her for her ‘entitlement.’
