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- Influence Weekly #414 - Australian Influencer Family Move To UK To Avoid Social Media Ban
Influence Weekly #414 - Australian Influencer Family Move To UK To Avoid Social Media Ban
Inside Ms. Rachel’s Preschool TV Empire
Nii Ahene
November 07, 2025
Spotlight Stories
Australian Influencer Family Move To UK To Avoid Social Media Ban
Inside Ms. Rachel’s Preschool TV Empire
TikTok Unveils AI-Powered Creation Tools, Boosts Creator Revenue Sharings
Instagram Launches 30-Day Watch History For Reels
Great Reads
The Empire Family, an Australian content creator family with millions of followers, relocated from Perth to London to avoid Australia's social media ban for users under 16 that began in December. The family consists of mothers Beck and Bec Lea, 17-year-old son Prezley, and 14-year-old daughter Charlotte.
Australia's ban requires Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube to prevent users under 16 from creating accounts and deactivate existing ones. Companies face fines up to A$50 million for non-compliance. YouTube was initially exempt but was later included in the restrictions.
The family's move allows Charlotte, who has 500,000 YouTube followers, 300,000 TikTok fans, and 200,000 Instagram followers, to continue creating content. Prezley's YouTube account has 2.8 million subscribers while the family account has 1.8 million followers. The relocation was facilitated by their dual British-Australian citizenship and Charlotte's switch to online schooling, enabling them to operate from any location.
Make-A-Wish reported that requests to meet content creators now constitute 32% of wishes granted within the entertainment industry, making it the second-largest segment behind music. CEO Leslie Motter stated these creator wishes have more than doubled in the past decade, with over 50 creators and influencers becoming first-time wish-granters in the past year.
Disney, MrBeast, and YouTube collaborated on a recent event at Disneyland Resort where online creators including ZHC, Mark Rober, and Rebecca Zamolo granted wishes for 40 children. Activities included playing Fortnite, painting sessions, and science experiments. Several participating creators indicated they have been granting wishes for multiple years.
The trend reflects broader consumption patterns among young people, with Pew Research Center data showing roughly three-quarters of teens visit YouTube daily. Make-A-Wish's data suggests content creators are becoming cultural figures comparable to traditional entertainment figures for children facing critical illnesses, representing a shift in how the next generation identifies aspirational figures in media and entertainment.
YouTube creator Ms. Rachel, who operates the Songs for Littles channel, reached 17.5 million subscribers as her educational preschool content expanded from YouTube to Netflix. Rachel and Aron Accurso started the channel in 2019 when Rachel became a stay-at-home mom and Aron worked at Broadway's Aladdin production.
The second season of Ms. Rachel's Netflix show became the platform's biggest kids launch in its history, though specific viewership numbers were not disclosed. The couple operates their own studio with editors after initially creating videos using iMovie and later Final Cut Pro.
Both creators completed the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and were Dramatist Guild fellows, backgrounds they credit for storytelling and pacing skills. Aron handles music production, occasionally bringing Broadway musicians into recording sessions, while both collaborate on writing and editing. The show focuses on educational entertainment for preschoolers, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional PBS programming during uncertain funding periods for public media.
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Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee revealed how his channel evolved from simple screencasts in 2009 to a media enterprise with 17 employees and over 20 million subscribers. Speaking with YouTube about creator economy shifts, Brownlee described his "octopus analogy" for scaling—delegating production tasks while keeping three core functions: being on camera, writing, and reviewing technology. His studio now manages multiple channels including the main tech review channel, a podcast, behind-the-scenes content, and Auto Focus for automotive technology.
Brownlee emphasized his "win-win-win" philosophy for brand partnerships, ensuring value for creators, brands, and audiences. He noted brands have evolved from viewing creators as risky to necessary for reaching key demographics. The creator recently joined wallet company Ridge as chief creative partner, highlighting how younger consumers increasingly trust creator reviews over traditional celebrity endorsements when making purchasing decisions.
NYC mayor elect Zohran Mamdani hosted more than 70 content creators at his campaign headquarters for an influencer-only briefing on October 30. The event reached a combined audience of 77.3 million users across social platforms and generated more than 31,000 livestream views.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman and democratic socialist, answered questions from creators spanning YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Substack and podcasts during the 40-minute session. NBC News was granted exclusive access as the sole traditional media outlet present.
The campaign organized the event through "Creators for Zohran," led by Aidan Kohn-Murphy of Gen Z for Change and creator Alexis Williams. Mamdani's digital-first strategy includes producing two monthly videos and iPhone content, despite consultant advice against this approach.
The briefing reflects broader political communication trends, following similar influencer engagement by the White House, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and President Biden's 2024 event hosting over 100 influencers. The NYC mayoral election is scheduled for November 4.
Podcast hosts delivered stronger advertising results than traditional influencers, according to Acast's 2025 Podcast Pulse report released November 5. The study surveyed 2,600 consumers across 10 markets plus 137 podcasters and 200 marketers between July and August 2025.
Podcast hosts ranked alongside journalists as the most credible product recommendation sources at 33%, ahead of YouTubers (31%), social media influencers (28%), and celebrities (25%). Sixty percent of podcast listeners actively consumed podcast ads compared to 52% for streaming music, 50% for YouTube, and 47% for radio.
The research found podcast ads required fewer exposures to drive interest. Only 35% of video podcast listeners and 41% of audio podcast listeners needed five or more exposures before considering a brand, compared to 43% for Instagram, 46% for YouTube, and 46% for Facebook.
Podcast creators maintained 2.66 billion total followers across social platforms. Purchase impact reached 67% of listeners who made purchases based on podcaster recommendations. The study covered markets including the US, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Australia, and Ireland.
VTubing platforms reported their first quarterly decline in 2025, with total Hours Watched falling to 462.5 million in Q3, a 12.3% decrease from previous quarters, according to Streams Charts and VSTATS. The decline followed record-breaking growth in earlier quarters and coincided with reduced broadcasting time across the virtual creator ecosystem.
Independent creators gained market share from established agencies during the quarter. Agency leaders hololive and NIJISANJI experienced substantial watch time drops, with their gap narrowing to 0.5%. Korean group ISEGYE IDOL emerged as the quarter's winner, increasing watch time by 24% and capturing 1.8% of global viewership.
The report tracked over 11,000 active VTubing channels across platforms. YouTube Live maintained its position as the primary viewership platform, while Twitch attracted new creators to the space. Smaller platforms including Kick, Naver's CHZZK, and SOOP Korea maintained stable audiences. Despite the Q3 decline, 2025 remains VTubing's most successful year on record.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced during Alphabet's Q3 2025 earnings call that YouTube Shorts now generates more revenue per watch hour than traditional videos on the platform. The announcement came as Alphabet reported its first $100 billion quarterly revenue.
YouTube advertising revenues increased 15 percent year-over-year to $10.3 billion in Q3, with direct response advertising leading growth. The platform has expanded Shorts advertising offerings over the past year, with brands accelerating adoption rates.
Purchase conversion rates support the revenue efficiency claims. A Precise TV survey of 1,000 American teens found 51 percent of teen boys made purchases after watching YouTube Shorts ads, compared to 44 percent for TikTok ads. Among teenage girls, 43 percent reported purchases from YouTube Shorts ads versus 41 percent from TikTok.
YouTube crossed 300 million total paid subscriptions across its services. The platform also set viewing records with its first exclusive global NFL broadcast, drawing more than 19 million fans.
Refy Beauty, the British cosmetics brand founded by Instagram influencer Jess Hunt, launched its full product range in the Middle East through Sephora on November 1, 2025. The expansion began with online availability through Sephora.me, with in-store rollout across Gulf Cooperation Council countries scheduled for December 1.
The Middle East launch coincides with Refy's fifth anniversary and follows strong financial performance. Company filings showed turnover increased to £40.4 million for the year ending August 31, 2024, up from £24.8 million the previous year. Pre-tax profits rose to £13.2 million from £8.9 million during the same period.
International sales outside the UK and Europe nearly doubled from £12.5 million to £23.7 million. Hunt, who co-founded Refy in 2020 with partner Jenna Meek, leveraged her 1.7 million Instagram followers to build the brand initially around brow products before expanding into skincare in January 2025. The company projects sales could reach £100 million by August 2025.
Several marketing firms are transforming influencer partnerships into data-driven campaigns with measurable returns. Agentio, founded in 2023, connects brands with YouTube creators through an AI-powered bidding platform, helping sock brand Bombas achieve 5.3 times higher return on ad spend compared to traditional YouTube ads. Superfiliate's platform now tracks purchases up to 30 days after influencer exposure, revealing one client was missing 40 percent of campaign-driven sales with older tracking methods.
Analog Events generates organic buzz by creating elaborate gift experiences, achieving 85 percent unpaid posting rates from recipients. Traditional PR firms are adapting too—Kite Hill helps executives build their own influencer presence on LinkedIn, while Illumination PR proved a local mom with modest following delivered better ROI for a medical spa than celebrity partnerships. These firms emphasize strategic creator selection and sophisticated performance tracking over follower counts alone.
Student influencers emerged as a growing force in the creator economy, with brands increasingly partnering with college-aged content creators over traditional macro-influencers. The trend centers on micro and nano influencers with under 10,000 followers who deliver higher engagement rates within campus communities.
Data showed 74% of students reported social media impacts their purchasing decisions, while 84% of Gen Z consumers trust influencers more than traditional advertisements. Over 60% of student shoppers discover new brands through social media via campus-based creators.
Brands adopted this approach due to cost advantages, with student creator rates representing a fraction of macro-influencer fees. The majority of influencers in 2025 fell within the 18-24 age demographic. According to Sprout Social, 26% of agencies allocated over 40% of their marketing budgets to influencer partnerships, driven by data showing 86% of consumers made purchases based on influencer content.
The shift required marketers to prioritize engagement metrics over follower counts and treat student creators as collaborative partners rather than traditional media channels.
Interesting People
YouTube creator Kristi Cook and investigative YouTuber Sloan Hooks launched "POPITY" podcast in October through Studio71. Cook built the "Spill Sesh" commentary channel to over 480 million views while remaining anonymous until The New York Times revealed her identity in 2023. The podcast features celebrity interviews and pop culture commentary, debuting with Trisha Paytas as its first guest.
Studio71 handles distribution, marketing and ad sales while the hosts manage YouTube uploads and community engagement from Cook's garage studio. The show releases episodes weekly on Thursdays with recurring segments including "Who Wore It Better" and "Devil's Advocate." Cook recently monetized the YouTube channel and seeks brand partnerships similar to Barstool Sports' sponsorship model.
Both creators share management through Slash Management and UTA. Cook previously worked at USA Today and TMZ before transitioning to full-time content creation in 2018. The duo filmed over a dozen interviews ahead of the launch to accommodate Los Angeles guest scheduling challenges.
Australian YouTube group "How Ridiculous" launched Tea Industries, a sugar-free iced tea brand, partnering with entrepreneur Alexa Stathakis as CEO. The trio of Brett Stanford, Scott Gaunson, and Derek Herron announced the launch in November 2025 through a characteristic stunt video featuring cars and boats dropped from cranes onto bouncy balls.
The brand entered retail distribution through IGA stores, convenience outlets, and over 300 school canteens across Australia. Tea Industries offers peach and aloe vera flavors positioned as alternatives to artificially sweetened beverages. The YouTube creators bring 24 million subscribers and 14.95 billion accumulated views to the partnership.
Stathakis identified Gen Z consumers as the primary target market, citing their health consciousness and reduced alcohol consumption compared to previous generations. The company plans expansion beyond tea products and into U.S. markets, positioning itself as a broader healthy drinks brand rather than limiting focus to tea offerings.
Family lifestyle creator Kirstin Czernek documented her journey from mental health counselor to successful content creator with over 100,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. Czernek, who holds a master's degree in mental health counseling, previously operated a fitness studio and nutrition practice for seven years before selling in 2021.
She began sharing family content during 2020, focusing on adoption, foster care, and parenting children with Down syndrome. Her follower count grew from 4,000 to more than 100,000 within months after embracing Instagram Reels and short-form video content. Czernek posts up to five times weekly, mixing audience engagement content with posts designed to attract new viewers.
Her content strategy centers on storytelling about personal experiences, particularly her adoption journey with son Luca, who has Down syndrome and recently completed leukemia treatment. Czernek maintains strict privacy boundaries, estimating that 98 percent of family life remains private, with children reviewing content before posting.
She handles content creation independently with husband support while managing brand partnerships through a small team. Her approach emphasizes authentic collaborations that integrate naturally with family narratives rather than appearing as separate advertisements.
Most Valuable Promotions canceled the November 14 exhibition boxing match between Jake Paul and WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis following a civil lawsuit against Davis. Ex-girlfriend Courtney Rossel filed the lawsuit accusing Davis of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The bout was scheduled to take place at Kaseya Center in Miami and stream on Netflix. Paul's previous Netflix exhibition against Mike Tyson drew 65 million peak streams and averaged 108 million global viewers. Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian stated the company still plans for Paul to headline a Netflix event in 2025.
The promotion unsuccessfully sought replacement opponents including Francis Ngannou, Ryan Garcia, Andre Ward, and Nate Diaz. Paul, who has 28 million Instagram followers and 21 million YouTube subscribers, entered the WBA cruiserweight rankings at No. 14 in July. Ticketmaster will refund purchased tickets for the canceled event.
Amazon's recent layoff of 14,000 corporate employees sparked a TikTok trend of workers documenting their job loss in real-time. Tejal Rives, 34, discovered her termination through a 3 a.m. email when she couldn't access her work account and immediately filmed herself doing makeup while reacting to the news. Fellow Amazon social media manager Lea, 27, launched a daily series called "Lea After Layoff," using content creation as both emotional outlet and recruiting strategy.
Other creators captured raw moments including panic attacks and HR termination calls, with some adding LinkedIn profiles to their TikTok bios for job leads. Marketing strategist Matt Hames notes posting about layoffs serves as personal marketing to stand out in job searches. The trend reflects broader efforts to destigmatize unemployment and reclaim agency after job loss, with creators viewing their vulnerability as demonstrations of resilience that could attract future employers.
Industry News
South by Southwest announced more than 250 sessions for its 40th anniversary celebration scheduled for March 12-18, 2026 in Austin, Texas. The technology and arts festival expanded to a full week-long format, consolidating its traditionally separate innovation, film, and music events into one timeframe.
SXSW introduced creator economy programming as a dedicated track alongside artificial intelligence, which emerged as the leading submission category through the festival's PanelPicker platform. Featured sessions include "An Influential Conversation with Jordan 'The Stallion' Howlett" focusing on community building and brand partnerships, and "The Anime Advantage" with executives from Crunchyroll, Twitch, and Major League Baseball discussing anime's role in brand strategy.
The festival restructured its venue approach due to Austin Convention Center unavailability, creating three "Clubhouses" organized around innovation, film and television, and music industries. SXSW overhauled its badge system to include reservation-based access, with Platinum badge holders receiving three daily reservations and other badge categories receiving two daily reservations up to three weeks before the event.
Attorney Lauren Taylor launched Le Fleur Society in August 2024, a Charleston-based talent agency representing influencers, celebrities, and reality TV personalities across the United States. The agency differentiates itself by offering non-exclusive contracts, allowing creators to pursue deals independently without paying commissions on work the agency didn't secure.
Taylor, who operates a 32-person law practice, brings legal expertise directly to creator representation, handling contract disputes and payment delays without requiring external counsel. The agency provides monthly transparency reports to clients detailing brand pitches, outreach status, and feedback.
Le Fleur Society plans to expand with Le Fleur Lab later this year, adding content creation, public relations, and brand development services. The agency maintains an intentionally small roster to provide personalized service, operating on what Taylor calls a "concierge" model rather than standardized packages. Taylor focuses on long-term brand partnerships and helps creators develop their own product lines, working with manufacturers, distributors, and investors to facilitate business development beyond traditional sponsorship deals.
Publicis Groupe acquired Singapore-based influencer agency HEPMIL Media Group, marking the company's latest move to build global creator ecosystems across regions. The deal follows Publicis' acquisition of US-based Influential in 2024, valued at US$500 million, and Captiv8 in 2025, along with BR Media Group in Latin America.
HEPMIL reported SG$5 million in revenue and profitability in 2020, later raising US$10 million in 2021 for regional expansion. The acquisition reflects broader consolidation in influencer marketing, following similar deals including We Are Social's purchase of Singapore-based Kobe.
The global influencer marketing market grew from US$21 billion in 2023 to US$33 billion in 2025, with one in ten brands now spending more than half their marketing budgets on creator-led campaigns. Industry analysts noted that holding companies are acquiring local agencies to combine cultural expertise with data-driven capabilities across Southeast Asian markets.
Livestreaming platform Kick launched its first native Drops feature on November 13, partnering with game developer Facepunch Studios for the survival game "Rust." The system allows viewers to earn exclusive in-game rewards while watching streams after linking their Kick and Steam accounts.
Kick reached 75 million users and surpassed 1.1 billion hours watched in Q2 2025, representing a 28.1% increase from Q1. Streams Charts data showed Kick joined YouTube Live, TikTok Live, and Twitch as the fourth platform in the livestreaming industry.
The inaugural collaboration features a 10-day player-versus-player event running November 13-23, offering exclusive items including a limited-edition Kick-themed Hazmat suit unavailable through other channels. Gaming content comprises the majority of Kick's total viewership, making the Drops feature a strategic addition to its platform capabilities. The announcement was made at DreamHack Atlanta with streamer xQc demonstrating the partnership.
Streams Charts partnered with StreamerDap to provide free analytics access to Twitch streamers throughout 2026. Streams Charts, which covers more than 55 million channels across platforms including Twitch, YouTube, and Kick since 2019, will offer complimentary performance metrics and audience demographic tracking to streamers who connect their channels.
The collaboration supports StreamerDap's focus on non-intrusive sponsorship opportunities while expanding Streams Charts' user base. StreamerDap, which specializes in AI-powered brand safety tools and integrated sponsorship placements, will be featured across the Streams Charts platform during the partnership period from October 2025 through 2026.
Streams Charts recently launched Twitch audience demographics data for PRO subscribers, providing insights on seven indicators including age, income, gender, family status, languages, occupations, and viewer interests. While these advanced demographics features remain part of the premium PRO tier with a $500 monthly add-on, the StreamerDap partnership grants streamers access to fundamental channel analytics at no cost.
Alex Cooper, host of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, launched Unwell Creative Agency in October 2025, offering content creation, campaign development, and event strategy services. The agency announced a multiyear partnership with Google that includes use of Google devices and production of a new advertisement for Google Pixel and T-Mobile called "Get Lost."
Cooper joins other celebrities who have entered advertising, including Kristen Bell's Dunshire Productions and Ryan Reynolds's Maximum Effort. State Farm previously worked with Maximum Effort on campaigns including placing Jake from State Farm next to Travis and Jason Kelce's mother at a Philadelphia Eagles game.
TJ Marchetti, Unwell's chief brand officer, said Cooper will be involved in all projects but will not appear in every campaign. The agency plans to use a roster of creatives and will focus on building long-term brand relationships rather than one-off viral moments. Cooper told the Wall Street Journal she does not intend to be the face of every campaign the agency produces.
Journalists Kaya Yurieff and Jasmine Enberg launched Scalable, a media company focused on creator economy coverage, as a joint venture with Whalar Group's The Lighthouse. The company launched with a twice-weekly newsletter on Beehiiv and a weekly podcast available across platforms. Scalable joined the Beehiiv Media Collective for operational support and tools.
The venture operates as a 50-50 joint venture, with The Lighthouse providing capital and operational support while the journalists maintain editorial control. Revenue will come from brand partnerships with potential paid products added later. Scalable plans to host its first annual event in Los Angeles next year.
Yurieff previously led The Information's creator economy newsletter and covered tech at CNN. Enberg worked as an analyst at Emarketer covering creators and social media. Whalar, a creator and social agency, launched The Lighthouse earlier this year as physical workspaces for creators, with locations in Venice, California and upcoming sites in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and London.
The launch reflects broader trends of journalists moving to independent platforms while joining collectives for support, similar to The Verge's Alex Heath launching his outlet while maintaining ties with Vox Media.
TikTok launched two AI-powered creation tools in October 2025 and increased creator revenue sharing to compete for content makers. The platform introduced Smart Split, an AI editing tool available globally through TikTok Studio Web that automatically converts longer videos into multiple short-form clips with captions and vertical formatting.
TikTok also rolled out AI Outline, which generates video titles, hashtags, and structured outlines based on creator prompts or trending topics. The tool provides six-part video frameworks that creators can customize for their content style.
The company expanded its subscription revenue-sharing model, raising the base rate from 50% to 70% of profits after fees. Creators can earn up to 90% through additional monthly rewards by maintaining 10,000 followers, generating 100,000 views monthly, and posting three subscription-only videos per month.
AI Outline is currently available to creators aged 18 and older in the United States, Canada, and select markets. The subscription revenue model applies to TikTok's monthly subscription product for exclusive content.
London-based creator marketing agency HYDP launched its proprietary AI platform after three years operating on a transparency-focused business model that eliminates traditional commission structures. Founded in 2022 by Thomas Markland, HYDP operates on retainer fees rather than taking percentages from creator payments, allowing clients full visibility into contracts and creator compensation.
The company tripled revenue after expanding to New York in 2023 and has worked with Amazon, Mercedes, NordVPN, and PrettyLittleThing on creator programs involving hundreds of participants. HYDP's AI system analyzes creator content across visual, audio, and conversion metrics to predict performance and identify creators matching specific parameters.
The company plans to rebrand in early 2026 alongside its first seed funding round with venture capital firms and angel investors. The capital will support further AI platform development and international expansion as HYDP transitions from a service-led model to combining consultancy with technology solutions for the creator marketing industry.
Instagram launched a 30-day watch history feature for Reels in October 2025, addressing user requests for better content discovery and sharing capabilities. Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the feature allows users to locate previously viewed videos without remembering account names or specific details.
Users access the feature through "Settings > Your Activity > Watch History" with sorting options from oldest to newest or by specific creators. The tool maintains records of all Reels watched over the previous 30 days, with support for date range filtering and creator-specific searches.
The feature follows Instagram's recent redesign prioritizing messaging and Reels in navigation, reflecting the platform's shift toward short-form video consumption. Instagram's 30-day limit contrasts with TikTok's similar feature that extends back six months. Meta confirmed to Business Insider that despite user interface suggestions otherwise, the feature remains limited to 30 days with bug fixes in progress.
The update rolled out in the latest Instagram application version across all supported platforms, providing users transparency into data collection already powering recommendation algorithms and advertising systems.
Vox Media's board discussed potentially spinning out its podcast network as a separate entity from its publishing business, according to three sources familiar with the conversations. The media company, which operates brands including The Verge, New York Magazine, and Eater, has not made a final decision on the spin-out.
The discussions reflect a strategic consideration that separating the businesses could generate greater shareholder value than investing in the combined company. Vox Media's podcast network includes popular shows across its various editorial brands and represents a distinct revenue stream from traditional digital publishing.
The potential spin-out would mark another example of media companies restructuring to unlock value from different business units. Publishers have increasingly sought to maximize returns from their audio content operations, which often have different monetization models and growth trajectories compared to web-based editorial content.
The timing and specific structure of any potential spin-out remain unclear, and the board has not committed to proceeding with the separation.
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YouTuber Anthony Potero, known as Anthpo with 1.9 million subscribers, launched Pufferfish, a viral marketing startup, with co-founder Talia Schulhof in summer 2024. The two 24-year-olds previously worked together at MrBeast's company on short-form video content.
Potero gained attention for organizing viral stunts including the Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest and his "Kid with Crocs" campaign for the footwear brand. The Crocs collaboration involved placing 3D printed shoes on New York City statues and creating fake social media accounts that accumulated millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers.
The bootstrapped company operates from a Midtown office with four team members and targets six-figure brand deals. Pufferfish creates custom campaigns combining digital content with in-person events. Early clients included language learning app Airlearn, for which they created provocative billboard campaigns across Manhattan featuring foreign words with humorous English translations.
The company focuses on brands seeking viral stunts with cultural impact both online and offline.
Content creator Neelam Ahooja published an open letter on Substack criticizing luxury brand The Row after years of promoting the company's products online. Ahooja, who identifies as "The Row collector" on Instagram, claimed the brand killed a Wall Street Journal story about her, criticized her for posting about sample sales, and objected to her affiliate links to wholesalers. The Row did not respond to requests for comment.
Other creators have similarly criticized brands publicly, including Samyra Miller targeting Athleta over sizing and Wisdom Kaye calling out Miu Miu after spending $18,000 on products that broke during unboxing. The shift reflects creators' growing income diversification beyond brand sponsorships through platforms like Substack and Patreon, plus booming affiliate marketing.
Creators now prioritize maintaining follower trust over brand relationships, finding audiences more receptive to criticism of luxury companies amid economic uncertainty. The power balance between influencers and brands continues shifting as creators gain financial independence from traditional sponsorship deals.
The US Army launched a trial program with eight military social media influencers to boost recruitment efforts among young people who engage primarily online. The program featured soldiers with established followings on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, including Austin von Letkemann who has accumulated over 3.5 million followers across platforms.
The Army spent $22,000 on travel and lodging for influencers to attend the service's 250th birthday parade in June. Their event-related content reached 40 million people and generated nearly 2 million engagements, while Army social media followers increased by 72,000 across all platforms.
The service recently paused the program for an ethics review amid concerns about influencers' ability to monetize their content while serving. The Army does not pay fees to these influencers for posts, contrasting with civilian influencers who can charge $15,000 to $75,000 per post. The program aims to address recruiting challenges as the Army requested a $1.1 billion marketing budget for this year, up 10% from the previous year.