Since the first time I tried and absolutely hated Poppi, I’ve tried to stay away from it. Recently, Poppi is back in my life, but this time taking the form of giant pink vending machines.
If you didn’t already know, Poppi gifted 32 TikTok influencers bright pink, full-sized vending machines along with hundreds of cans of Poppi as a PR stunt leading up to the Super Bowl. This was done in an effort to draw attention to the brand’s commercial featuring prominent influencers such as Jake Shane and Alix Earle.
Instead of making a name for themselves before the Super Bowl, Poppi fumbled and reminded everyone just how detached brands can be. Its PR failure highlighted a significant shift to expensive brand gifting, fueled by social media engagement, which needs to be dialed back.
Fans found the campaign to be extremely out of touch. Critics highlighted the disparity in showering wealthy influencers with expensive, exclusive gifts while the average consumer struggles to justify paying nearly three dollars for a 12 oz can. This stunt felt especially tone-deaf considering the prices of grocery bills have been climbing.
“I have noticed that consumers are getting tired of seeing influencers constantly receiving grandiose PR mailings from brands,” said Ava Prinzo, the vice president of public relations for UM’s student-run advertising agency, Orange Umbrella. “Consumers would rather see realness, and influencers that demonstrate this type of authenticity tend to get more engagement because they’re naturally more relatable.”
Poppi is not the first brand to face backlash for expensive gifting. Tarte Cosmetics, for example, faced backlash after a campaign when half of their influencers received Hermes bracelets while the other half got snack packs.
It’s not that influencer marketing is inherently bad, but lately I’ve noticed a huge shift in the lengths companies go to when it comes to PR boxes or other influencer gifts, which social media has played a huge role in.
Flashiness drives views, with the most out-there gifts garnering the most media attention. However, this strategy can backfire when the controversy overshadows the product and alienates the same consumers the brands attempt to attract.
“Community management, which is managing a brand’s social media accounts and commenting on relevant posts to engage with consumers, is integral in today’s marketing,” Prinzo added.
Extravagant gifts are hardly a new marketing tactic, and they make a lot of sense in theory. Trendy influencers with millions of followers can persuade their fans to buy the company’s product, offsetting the costs of the items being given away.
As companies strive to create viral moments, they often unintentionally hurt their brand while inspiring others to chase the next big marketing move. This cycle of one-upping can lead to marketing fatigue, leaving consumers bored of seeing content constantly pushed in their faces. Soon enough, vending machines will seem mundane.
While influencer marketing is here to stay, the way that brands execute these strategies needs a serious reality check. In an era where consumers expect a genuine connection, companies risk becoming yet another example of how disconnected brand marketing has become.
So let’s ditch the vending machines and other over-the-top gifts and focus on what customers actually want: a genuine influencer without all of the extravagance.