Q&A: Influencer Gifting: A Sustainability Crisis

Influencer gifting has become an increasingly prevalent marketing strategy across a wide range of industries in recent years. To gain exposure and endorsement on social media platforms, brands often send lavish packages of branded merchandise to influencers. From a sustainability perspective, this trend raises concerns, especially because of the excessive amounts of branded merchandise. 

Excessive consumption and environmental impact can result from influencers receiving too many products they don’t need. Brands need to reevaluate their gifting strategies, adopting more sustainable approaches that reduce waste and promote consumption responsibly.

Sustainability principles are becoming increasingly important for brands as consumer awareness of environmental issues grows. Influencer gifting branded merchandise contributes to environmental degradation and reflects poorly on a brand’s sustainability commitment. With consumers increasingly scrutinizing brands’ environmental and ethical practices, wasteful gifting can damage a brand’s reputation. 

The importance of sustainability in influencer marketing is therefore increasing, not only to minimize environmental impact, but also to connect with eco-conscious consumers. During the Q&A session with Rob Mobsby, Digital Director of EverythingGlobal, he dives deeper into the trend.

What sustainable practices can brands implement in their influencer gifting strategies to reduce environmental impact?

Influencer gifting is so valuable from a marketing perspective. The visibility it creates at a relatively low cost cannot be denied. Often brands will see an uptick in sales immediately after an influencer opens their gift, aka “unboxing” for all their followers to see. However, any misstep, no matter how small can turn a well-meaning gift into a PR nightmare. Just look at what happened when an influencer filmed their unboxing of a gift from popular makeup brand, Mac. The video turned into a hit piece over the “wasteful and gluttonous” amount of confetti and product, then quickly went viral.

For brands looking to maintain consumer trust and entice new customers, implementing sustainability into influencer gifting strategies is crucial. The first step in reducing environmental impact is embracing the “less is more” policy. Influencers don’t need every product, they need the ones that are relevant to their individual needs. They don’t need an abundance of packaging, they need customized wrapping that suits their gift. And clearly, they don’t need to be glitter-bombed.

Carefully considering what you will gift the influencer based on their audience and personal preferences is critical to avoiding over-indulgence and getting called out for useless environmental impact.

How can brands ensure that influencer gifts align with their sustainability values and initiatives?

Beyond considering the sheer volume of product included in each influencer gift, there are more ways brands can ensure their mailers align with their sustainability values and those of the audience they’re trying to reach.

One way to promote the brand and protect the planet at the same time is to choose products that are eco-friendly to begin with. Where possible, select products made from sustainable or recycled materials using ethical practices. Partner with other brands and manufacturers who have similar values to include their products in the gift.

Another way to ensure sustainability is to focus on higher quality, longer lasting items that your customer base can actually use. A pen might seem like the most basic item to include in a gift set but it’s also one of the longest-lasting most oft-used branded items. A pen can write for over a mile and most people have the same one for at least four years. A coffee mug could sit on someone’s desk for decades! Of course, none of that is relevant if your audience doesn’t find value in the product in the first place.

What criteria should brands consider when selecting eco-friendly products for influencer gifting campaigns?

When considering what products work best for influencer gifting campaigns, think about what would suit the recipient best. Revisiting the Mac example, rather than sending all the available lipstick colors, selecting the best ones for the influencer’s skin tone and sending along with a personalized note would have been better received and more eco-friendly. Too many marketers reverse this process, thinking first about the brand and then about the influencer. Think first about what your influencer wants then find a way to give it to them that also suits your brand to avoid scandal. If they’re athletic, do they want the latest trendy water bottle or are they likely to have that already – is it time to think of something new?

If you want to ensure nothing in your gift ends up in a landfill, understand your customer base and take the time to figure out what they really want.

In what ways can brands leverage influencer partnerships to promote sustainability and eco-conscious consumer behaviors?

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 behaviors and are likely to call out “greenwashing” wherever they see it. Brands have to walk the walk. By turning each influencer unboxing 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. Again, one misstep into reckless abundance could turn consumers off a brand for life.

Beyond their own products, brands should also consider the philosophies of the influencers they choose to work with. Do your research to ensure there’s no risk of brush back from consumers based on the influencer’s choices. Maybe reconsider that influencer who flies everywhere on a private jet, or the one who sees animals as photo ops.

How can brands measure the effectiveness of their sustainable influencer gifting efforts in terms of both environmental impact and marketing ROI?

In order to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns, brands should keep track of exactly what goes into each influencer gift. How much of the total package can be considered recyclable or eco-friendly and how does that number improve that overtime? Tracking progress and getting better with each campaign shows an authentic commitment to reducing the environmental impact of marketing campaigns.

Of course, campaigns must be effective in terms of generating revenue as well. Brands should measure influencer satisfaction based on the length and number of shares made to know they’re on the right track with their gifting. The should also measure marketing ROI based on the volume of clickthroughs and sales generated from the influencers content to the website.

What innovative approaches or partnerships can brands explore to enhance the sustainability of their influencer gifting programs while still achieving their marketing goals?

Brands should feel free to explore entirely new and unique products for their influencer partnerships. Don’t feel boxed into the same popular products we see again and again – rather, create something new! Is there a combination of products you can blend together to create one, long lasting and well received gift? Rhode showed other brands how this was done when they created a custom phone case with a special holder for their lip gloss. Amid the Stanley Cup craze, some brands created carrier bags to hold the massive water bottles plus other essentials like a phone and keys. When you’re working with a vendor on creating products, don’t be afraid to push the envelope.