A Peek Behind the Curtain: Influencer Edition

Influencers often get sent PR and do reviews. What are the expectations for them? How does that impact their objectivity and opinions? How can we determine if we are getting their honest views on a product or service?

BY: Jennielee Hilario

Influencer marketing has become a popular tactic for brands looking to reach new customers through social media. Influencers are often sent products or services to review or promote. However, this practice raises the question of how we can trust that influencers are providing honest opinions and not just promoting things for financial gain.

Expectations for Influencers

When a brand sends a product or service to an influencer for review, there are expectations on both sides. The brand hopes that the influencer will have a positive experience with the product and share that experience with their audience. The influencer expects to receive compensation in some form, be that monetary or free merch.

“The contracts usually say that you have to talk about the product in a positive light or they list out specific things you have to mention,” said 22-year-old beauty, lifestyle, and fashion content creator, Jenn Evans (@jennxevans). The senior advertising major started receiving PR packages in June 2020.

On her Instagram and TikTok pages, Evans promotes companies such as Skims, Urban Outfitters, and YSL Beauty, among others by posing on camera, doing transitions, or recording unboxings. Evans says she focuses on promoting clothing pieces that are either trendy or basics that can be styled in trendy ways. She also lists all the products she uses in her caption as well as linking them.

“When I got to Temple I met so many girls who watched my YouTube videos and that is when I understood that I can have a positive influence on people’s lives,” said Evans. (Evans started posting on YouTube six years ago under the username Jenna Evans, though she has since prioritized her TikTok and Instagram presence.)

As an influencer, Evans is aware that not everything can be PR, as influencers would risk losing trust from their audience.

“If done right, when you build a community that trusts you, they will be happy and excited for your collaborations,” said Evans. Brands do not necessarily focus only on influencers’ content. They also take into account how many followers an influencer has when it comes to PR packages.

“Follower count is nice,” said Evans, who currently has just under 10k followers on Instagram and 62.8k on TikTok. “But if you make genuine good content, that will take you far.”

The Impact on Objectivity and Opinions

Expectations can impact an influencer’s objectivity and opinions on a given product or service. It’s important to remember that influencers are human beings with their own biases and preferences. If an influencer receives a product that they’re really excited about, they’re more likely to share a positive opinion of it.

Certainly, this is true about influencer Lexis Trechak (@lexistrechak); a senior at Temple University who started posting relatable content for the first time on TikTok in 2019. This content is mostly about things that dancers like herself go through on a daily basis; the posts are usually presented as POVs and comedic skits. Even though Trechak started posting her content for fun, she then realized that she was creating a community of young aspiring dancers.

“I wanted to be a role model for young dancers as I created my content,” said Trechak, who currently has 1.2 million followers on TikTok and 59k on Instagram.

Trechak has done PR deals for athletic brands such as Discount Dance, Halara, Better Me, among others. She has also promoted products from brands such as Coca Cola, Doordash, Totinos, Trident, Dawn dish soap, and more.

While dealing with these brands, Trechak feels that she “can trust them.” Therefore, she is more inclined to speak positively about brands she has worked with instead of their competitors due to her good experience. So, to build trust with her audience while doing PR, Trechak says that she films her brand deals similarly to her regular content so it is as enjoyable as her regular content.

The reality is that brands are very strategic, considering that brands that have reached out to Trechak have sent her PR boxes with sweet notes.

“I’ve had some lovely long term PR relationships,” said Trechak. “Such as Wendy’s who always writes me personal notes, which is so sweet.”

Ultimately, there’s no way to be 100% sure that an influencer is providing an honest review. While some influencers, such as Evans and Trechak, are willing to share what content of theirs is the result of PR, that is not always the case. Despite the Federal Trade Commission requiring influencers to disclose any relationship with brands, not every influencer does so. That makes it important for audiences to use their own discretion when watching influencer content.