How to Avoid an Influencer Marketing Disaster

top of the morning! happy valentine’s day and happy love is blind premiere day to all who celebrate. i hope you do a lot of things that you love today.

is it me or did January take 6 years to go by and now we are 2 weeks away from march?!

i am off to palm springs on the 23rd for ETail West. if you’re going to be there, let me know. i am speaking on a panel so if you want to stop by, reply and let me know. i usually go to expo west as well, but this might be my first year of sitting out after 7 years.

anyway, it’s a no brainer that the marketing community was quickly rattled with the crazy poppi vending machine drama that has taken over instagram, tiktok, linkedin, twitter, and newsletters around the country by storm.

naturally, i can’t not talk about it.

today, we’ll be talking about:

• why influencer marketing is a two-way street

• how consumers are more aware than ever before

• virality can cut both ways

• why community management matters

Before we get into today’s newsletter, something that is cool about having a newsletter is that you get to work with people who really know their stuff and also have them be your friends.

Given it’s Valentine’s Day, I wanted to give you something for all the love and support you show week in and week out (even when these are a day later than usual). So, I have teamed up with my friend Emma Grace Moon at Praize to help all the marketers here.

You’ve heard me say it plenty of times that affiliate marketing can work…when done right and with the right mediums whether it’s influencer or in this case PR. Yes, Public Relations, a historically unmeasurable top-of-funnel channel, but it doesn’t have to be that way. As brands seek alternatives to rising Meta ad costs and publications pursue sustainable revenue streams, Affiliate PR has become the clear solution for growth-focused brands.

So, listen up, y’all.

• If you’re a founder who’s tired of pouring money into marketing channels that don’t deliver, you now have an opportunity to learn how to drive real revenue and high-quality media coverage.

• If you’re a CMO looking to prove marketing is a growth engine (not just a cost center), this will help you secure investments, track revenue impact, and move beyond inefficient channels.

• If you’re a Head of Growth or Marketing Manager who wants to impress leadership and get that promotion, this is your chance to master a strategy that delivers measurable results.

• If you’re a Head of Comms or PR Director trying to make the case for a bigger budget and team, this will show you how to prove ROI and stay ahead of media trends.

Continuous education is something that is really important to me as a human and a marketer so when Emma launched the Affiliate PR Masterclass, it was a no brainer investment.

If you want a sneak peek into the fun, she is letting you guys in on for free to their Affiliate PR Three-Week Email Course as an introduction to their proven methodology that has been used to drive millions of dollars for brands like Great Jones, Jones Road, Dame and more. 

If you’re interested in learning more, you can also email Emma at [email protected] and tell her I sent you.

Live, laugh, love (ROI).

If you’re in the CPG space (or just chronically online), you probably saw the Poppi vending machine drama unfold. If not, here’s a quick recap:

Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand, sent fully branded vending machines stocked with their drinks to influencers over Super Bowl weekend. It was meant to be a buzzy stunt, but it very much backfired. People called it tone-deaf and out of touch (me included - no shame, it’s a safe space here), questioning why brands spend big on influencer gifting (that lacks diversity) instead of rewarding real customers who tag them non-stop trying to get their attention.

Also, I am aware that the Poppi team planned on collecting them back from the creators, but I want to see those videos lol.

To me, it was a drive-by virality stunt. Get them in the home, wrack up views, and leave. They got stopped right before trying to get out of the door and badly.

Poppi’s biggest competitor, Olipop, jumped in swinging in the comments on Tiktok, Instagram, and crushing it on Twitter and the internet ran with it. I know some might disagree when it comes to the time and place to interact with your competitor, especially in such public forums, but I have to say that some of these tweets from Olipop truly made me LOL.

We are also now seeing other brands in the healthy soda space like Culture Pop trying to enter the conversation (here) by rewarding true customers.

This campaign is a masterclass in how influencer marketing can go sideways. So let’s talk about what actually went wrong and what brands can learn from it.

1. Audience perception is everything.

Influencer gifting isn’t new by any means. We all know the insane brand trips and PR kits that happen and I think we are all used to it at this rate. But in a time when people are hyper-aware of how brands spend their money (especially in a tough economy), these kinds of stunts matter more than ever, especially when it comes to who brands spend their money on as well.

This backlash isn’t just about the vending machines. It’s about the perception of excess and overconsumption core.

Consumers saw influencers receiving oversized, expensive vending machines filled with product (that cost tens of thousands) while they’re at Whole Foods paying $3+ for a single can. The takeaway? People don’t mind seeing brands invest in marketing, but if it feels disconnected from them, they’ll call it out and question the brand. People are not afraid to take it to the comments.

Consumers also look at the type of people and this campaign also lacked a lot of diversity across the people they selected. This has always been something they need to work on.

Also, if this was something that was affordable at the end of the day that Poppi could actually offer then we would be having a different conversation. Of course, everyone would want a vending machine of one of their favorite drinks, but it’s not something you can just simply add to a site and have your true consumer access.

They should have let their audience feel heard from the start. They could have mocked up a post of a vending machine and post that on social and wrack up engagement like a mofo.

2. Olipop’s role proves that competition isn’t just about product—it’s about community.

Olipop didn’t just let this controversy play out; they shook the can up. Yes, I will keep using soda puns.

When they put the $25K price tag out there (real or not - we’ll never really know, but I personally know that these can cost a pretty penny), they shaped the conversation and positioned themselves as the more grounded, community-first brand.

The lesson? Competitive positioning isn’t just about your product—it’s about how your brand shows up in moments like this. This is a reminder as to why, no matter the situation, that community management and having the resources to be proactive and reactive is important.

Olipop has built a strong brand by engaging with customers in a way that feels relatable and human. They highlight real customers, respond to comments, and participate in conversations without feeling overly polished or corporate. So when they subtly poked at Poppi, it felt organic. Their audience was already primed to side with them.

3. Influencer marketing only works if it feels genuine.

Poppi is a brand built on influencer marketing. It’s been a core growth strategy for them, and they’ve done it well with their over the top PR boxes and merch for each launch. I mean, hey, the merch was so desired that Target even took it in. Don’t ask me how I feel about that.

The vending machine stunt fell flat because it lacked authenticity. It wasn’t an organic moment; it was a flex and a half. The most successful influencer campaigns make consumers feel included in the hype, not like they’re watching from the sidelines saying “I’ll never be able to get one of those”. If I was Poppi, I would have sent these to top customers perhaps on the DTC side who spend hundreds vs. the same type of influencer who never really has to pay to have their product.

They also could have chosen to pop these up and allow potentially new folks to try their product out in cities or states where they are trying to gain more of a following or increase velocity.

4. Crisis management starts before the crisis.

Poppi’s response—letting consumers vote on where vending machines should go next—was a solid pivot. But by that point, they were already playing defense.

This is why I always have a list of questions I like to ask myself before a campaign, seeding, or social post such as:

• Always ask why.

• Why would this be good for the brand? Is this good for the brand? If the brand doesn’t do it, what does the brand miss out on?

• Why would this post be good for the brand’s existing customer?

• Why would this post appeal to someone who isn’t a customer?

• What are the primary emotional benefits in this content or product that will resonate most with someone?

Brands should have a proactive plan for potential backlash, especially when executing a campaign with a high price tag. This means:

• Anticipating public reaction: Before launching a big campaign, gut-check it against how it might land with your everyday consumer, not the influencers.

• Owning the narrative early: If Poppi had led with the community voting idea from the start, the campaign might have been received differently.

• Knowing how competitors might react: If your biggest competitor can flip your campaign into a negative, it’s worth rethinking. Poppi left the door wiiiide open for Olipop to come in and leverage this campaign to come out on top. That doesn’t mean Poppi didn’t benefit from this. Virality works both ways, whether you’re getting dunked on or getting praised, more comments and more content created around it, gets the brand name out there.

So, what’s the move?

Big influencer moments still have a place in marketing—but they need to be thoughtful, self-aware, and community-driven. Before launching a campaign, brands should ask:

This is all a good reminder: marketing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. How your audience feels about your brand is just as important as what you’re selling and making it attainable.

Would love to hear your thoughts—was this a total fail, or an overblown reaction? Hit reply and let me know. Also, yes, there are a ton of opinions so let’s be open-minded.

It’s time for Ahead of The Trend.

A quick, snappy ode to the fun things I’m seeing online across creators, social, and brands. Sometimes, it’s a trend. Sometimes, it’s just a tip I want to share about marketing. TL;DR: just cool things I’m loving right now or things you should know.

Brand of the Week: Best Day Brewing launched a Sober Sex Campaign for Valentine’s Day featuring a variety of influencers from comedians to those in the health space. Also, if you haven’t tried their Electro-Lime, you should. It was one of my favorite finds at Expo West last year.

Products of the Week That I Can’t Stop Using, Eating, and/or Wearing: Welp! I became an Owala girlie, Siete’s New Dairy-Free Mexican Street Corn Tortilla Chips, I acquired my 3rd pair of AKILA Ascent glasses and I am afraid I cannot stop. If you’re a sunglasses addict like me, they fit perfectly.

Creator of the Week: Ordinary Sausage. Just click it. Sorry in advance.

A Random Mix of Things You Should Definitely Know About: I know it’s an oldie, but goodie, but I know that not everyone is super familiar about Milled. If you’re in marketing/ e-commerce and need some email inspiration, you’re welcome.

That’s a wrap, folks.

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Peace, Love, and KPIs.

-KD

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