Deinfluencing

The format arrived as a reaction to product fatigue. Creators listed what they thought was overpriced, named cheaper substitutes, pointed at the hauls that had made everyone feel behind, and positioned themselves as the honest voice in the feed. Audiences responded because being told what to avoid felt like a favour.

The obvious tension: recommending against one product usually means recommending another, and plenty of deinfluencing videos were themselves sponsored by the alternative. Disclosure rules apply exactly the same way when the paid product is the one you are steering people towards. Done honestly it builds real trust, because a creator who says no to things is worth listening to when they say yes.