Is There A Sustainability Issue With Influencer Gifting?

In theory, the influencer marketing industry should be faultless. Brands win. Creators win. Consumers win. What’s not to love?

However, with an increased awareness and interest in global affairs, in recent years, from climate change to sustainability, comes a sharper, more critical eye on each and every detail pertaining to the influencer marketing industry.

One of which has been causing quite a stir. Sustainable influencer gifting.

Gifting is one of the oldest forms of PR and, in fact, is what early influencer marketing practices stemmed from. Brands would send products and services in exchange for promotion, just as a publicist would a journalist. 

To gain exposure and endorsements on social media platforms, brands often send out lavish packages of branded products or merchandise to influencers, resulting in a lot of them receiving more than they need. This leads to excessive consumption and, thus, has a negative environmental impact. 

Now, sustainable influencer gifting is being brought to the fore as various creators are calling out the practice as wasteful and a poor reflection of a brand’s commitment to sustainability.

@london.chandler

PR packaging is so wasteful like 75% of the time WHYY 😭😭 #pr #prhaul #prpackages #contentcreator

♬ original sound – London Chandler

Read on to discover how brands can best tackle the challenge that sustainable influencer gifting presents and why it’s of great importance in the digital era.

HOW #GIFTED HAS LED US AWAY FROM SUSTAINABLE INFLUENCER GIFTING

A Traackr report found that 60% of 300 surveyed marketers receive promotion from less than half the creators they send products to. However, despite the measly result, 65% of them said they will continue to run influencer gifting and influencer seeding strategies with the same creators.

Not only does this indicate that brands are wasting valuable time and money, but it also encourages the negative implications that product seeding generally has on the environment. In fact, several now-deleted TikTok videos have even shown a lot of #gifted products resigned to the bins of influencer neighbours (hopefully with the products removed). 

While this promotes blatant wastefulness and disregard for working towards sustainable influencer gifting, it hasn’t stopped brands from increasing their investments in product seeding campaigns. The same Traackr report noted that 28% of marketers spend between $10,000 and $50,000 on product gifting campaigns each year, with 25% spending between $50,000 and $200,000. 

Let’s say these product seeding and gifting campaigns actually work. The creators who willingly feature the products within their social media content often only do so in a large haul-style video featuring several other brands. This lessens the time the influencer actually spends unboxing and reacting to each individual product. All in all, is it really worth it? Particularly given the variety of brand awareness strategies available to marketers today.

Nowadays, a brand’s commitment to sustainable influencer gifting and other marketing practices is a crucial selling point for many consumers. The lack thereof is, therefore, harmful to their reputation. 

@e91574

you know what I support influencer girlies for getting the bag but it gives me the ICK when the brands send 20 different swatches of the same overpriced lip gloss while the regular customers pay the 400% marked up price or smth #overconsumption

♬ female rage – bel6va

So what can be done?

HOW CAN BRANDS PRIORITISE SUSTAINABLE INFLUENCER GIFTING?

For brands looking to maintain consumer trust and entice new customers, implementing sustainable influencer gifting strategies is crucial. 

Less is more

The first step in reducing environmental impact is embracing the “less is more” policy.

@junkldnswim

Do we think gifting PR can be done in a less wasteful way? #darcymcqueeny #prunboxing #sustainablefashion #influncermarketing

♬ original sound – JUNK LDN 🥥🌴

Lifestyle creator, Naomi Hearts, says, “The biggest mistake that I see brands make in product seeding campaigns [is] they send gifted products to creators without really researching them”. Generally, influencers don’t need to be gifted every single product you make. They need what’s relevant to their needs. And if this can then be custom wrapped according to what’s being sent, even better! This not only reinforces a brand’s genuine interest in the creators they are reaching out to, but also puts their products in better stead for being featured in more social media content, as the influencer will likely feel more compelled to promote something that’s been hand-selected for them. 

Handing over control

@jennapalek

#stitch with @kelsishannon surprise gifting is fun sometimes if its products you actually want and will use, but alot of times it can just be really wasteful. With clothes/ shoes/makeup/ anything wearable i really prefer to persobally pick the products! I think its totally okay to limit what items theyre able to select too!

♬ original sound – Jenna Palek

Another way to combat harming the environment with elaborate, unnecessary influencer gifting packaging, is to implement selective gifting practices. For fashion brands this could look like sending across a look book of the lines you’re looking to promote to your chosen creators and allowing them to select the items they particularly like. Though this does detract from the surprise elements often associated with gifting, it does ensure that the creator receives clothes they genuinely like and in the correct size; further amplifying the chance of getting a dedicated video in return.

This particular practice is great for anything wearable, such as makeup and shoes.

Focus on higher-quality, longer-lasting products

Sustainable influencer gifting is all about ensuring longevity. Where cosmetics and many FMCG products have expiry dates, it is likely that celebrities and mega influencers won’t ever get round to finishing the entire product given the heaps of others they have to juggle from other brands.

In the same vein, ensuring that these products are delivered in eco-friendly/reusable packaging is also a fool proof way to increase your brand’s commitment to sustainability and, therefore, its reputation among consumers. Sure, the cooler-looking a PR parcel, the more likely it is to be shared online by a creator, however, oftentimes this just ends up going straight in the bin and, if non-recyclable, contributes to a larger problem. Avoid single-use plastics and elaborate decorations such as confetti and glitter. Let the products speak for themselves. 

Normalise taking yourself off of a brand’s PR list

Look, we get it. Receiving cool things in the post for free is likened to living the dream for many. However, overconsumption is a real thing and, in many ways, more harmful to the environment than we are often led to believe.

@vanilla_swirlxx

overconsumption is EASY for influencers when they dont PAY for any of it…. #unpopularopinion #controversial #beautyinfluencer #overconsumptionculture #influencermarketing

♬ original sound – vanilla swirl 🍦

As this creator goes on to mention, seeing our favourite creators hoarding 10 different foundations, 30 different concealers, and whatnot, triggers a feeling of FOMO within a lot of us. However, it’s important to note that this is not normal. This is overconsumption disguised as necessity. Sure, the majority of sustainable influencer gifting changes need to be headed by brands, but the onus doesn’t lie solely with them. Creators are also being called up to do their part if they are to keep benefitting from the influencer marketing industry.

THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE INFLUENCER GIFTING

Every year around Earth Day, so many brands speak up on social media to tout their sustainability practices, but today’s consumers see through that. They don’t want to hear how brands are adopting eco-conscious behaviours and are likely to call out “greenwashing” wherever they see it. 

Brands have to walk the walk. 

By turning each influencer gifting campaign into an opportunity to showcase the brand’s commitment to eco-friendly practices, brands are putting their money where their mouth is and setting an example for the industry. 

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@sociallypowerful