How TikTok Influencers Are Promoting Overconsumption

Influencer marketing is now more than just a trend on social media platforms, it’s become a lucrative way of promoting products and most brands are on board. And it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. Especially as Gen Z (those born between 1997-2012) are particularly buying into what famous influencers are selling. Through this marketing strategy, businesses are using the power of well-known content creators, otherwise known as influencers, to promote new products or services to a wide audience. 

The influencers, in return, receive pay, free products, or other benefits. This has changed the dynamics of online shopping, creating a continuous cycle of overconsumption. Has it gone too far?

The TikTok Effect

TikTok seemed to take us all by surprise when it managed to quickly gain popularity back in 2018. It even had the likes of Instagram shaking in its boots. It’s not surprising that it’s a hotbed for influencer marketing. The platform’s unique algorithm, which curates a personalised ‘For You’ page (FYP) for its users, is a driving force behind the success of this marketing strategy.

The FYP is customised based on user interactions such as likes, comments, and watch time. This level of personalisation, combined with the platform’s fast-paced trend cycle, has made TikTok an ideal platform for promoting trendy products. In other words, TikTok it addictive and it’s designed to be addictive to keep you scrolling. 

The Influencer Marketing Cycle

The TikTok influencer marketing cycle is characterised by the rise and fall of microtrends. These are short-lived trends that go viral before being replaced by the next big thing. Often, these trends revolve around specific beauty products, fashion trends, or popular products like the Stanley Cup. Influencers capitalise on these trends, promoting products that align with the trend and encouraging their followers to purchase these items to stay on trend.

However, the rapid pace of these trends has led to a cycle of overconsumption. Followers are often encouraged to buy items that they may not need or even want, simply to keep up with the latest trend. This has resulted in a surge in online shopping and an increase in waste due to unused or quickly discarded products.

The Impact of Influencer Marketing on Small Businesses

While influencer marketing has its downsides, it has also proven to benefit some small businesses. By partnering with popular influencers, these businesses can reach a wider audience and increase their sales. The low price point of many of these products, combined with the endorsement of a popular influencer, makes them attractive to TikTok users and boosts sales for the business.

However, it’s not all sunshine and roses and can often be harmful to small businesses, especially those influencers that promote Temu and TikTok Shop. Temu and TikTok shops sell products at really low prices that other companies cannot compete with. They have also been accused of stealing ideas and designs from other businesses.

Not only that, the products themselves can be poor quality made with cheap materials and not function as advertised. There are also issues around scams and stealing information from customers. 

Overconsumption and Waste

Despite its benefits, influencer marketing has some major downsides: it promotes overconsumption. The constant barrage of new products being promoted on TikTok can lead users to purchase items they don’t need, contributing to waste. This is particularly true in the case of beauty products, which are often heavily promoted by influencers. The constant influx of new products can lead users to constantly buy and discard items, contributing to environmental waste.

The Stanley Cup Trend

Let’s talk about the Stanley Cup trend. These cups cost around £45 a cup, and they have become one of the many viral products that have turned a simple product into a trendy one. The reusable water bottles are supposed to be a product that you buy once and use again and again to drink water. Instead, thanks to influencers, they have become a growing trend. 

I’m sure some everyday people just buy one and reuse it. But there are many videos of TikTokers collecting them and having different colours to match their outfits. It’s become somewhat of a status symbol to show how they can afford to spend so much money on the latest item. Not to mention the limited edition Valentine’s Stanley cups that had people queueing for hours and hours to race to Target to get their hands on as many as they could. There are videos on TikTok of the madness. 

Then there’s the influence they are having on young girls. Videos of them opening them on Christmas morning and losing their mind with excitement. While it’s lovely to see them happy and thankful for their gift, it’s not about them wanting to drink water. It’s about them having a trendy item so they fit in with their peers. Why do 9-year-olds need a £45 cup? It’s teaching them that material possessions are a status symbol. 

You can even get accessories for them now which makes them more expensive and will only add to the waste going into landfill when the trend dies down. It does make you wonder how many of these creators have brand deals with Stanley and how many genuinely love the cups.

The Ice Trend

Another trend is the ice trend. ‘Restock my ice draw with me’. Yes, these people have a full draw of ice. They have an insane amount of ice moulds and put different flavours and syrups in them to make fancy ice.

But this isn’t just about showing you their ice, it’s about selling you the products featured in the videos. They are very satisfying to watch but they are just another way to promote overconsumption.

The Restocking Trend

The restocking trend is the same. Plastic organisers are everywhere, taking things out of their plastic packing to put in plastic boxes. These come in the form of fridge restocks where people even pour out drinks into containers or put condiments into containers which to me is crazy. Once you’ve opened these things, they expire quicker, plus you throw the packing away so how will you know when it is going off? And many of the products don’t fully fit into the containers so where are you putting the half-empty bottles? Because they’re not in the nearly stocked fridge?

There are makeup draw restocks, bathroom draw restocks, and just about anything where people are putting a lot of unnecessary stuff into plastic boxes. A lot of the items are single-use items, too. One that I really don’t understand is ‘restock my guest bathroom’ where they put loads of products for a guest staying a few days. Wouldn’t they just being their own products?

TikTokers Promoting TikTok Shop

There are many popular trends on TikTok and they feed into the fast fashion industry or they are unnecessary items that add to so much waste. One type of influencer that bothers me is the ones that post videos every day that promote products from TikTok Shop.

I’m going to use the example of one girl I know of as she is the first one that caught my attention. This girl posts about 12 videos a day. About 10 of those videos are promoting products from TikTok Shop. In the space of 24 hours, she promoted these items:

• fake eyelashes
• fake tan
• a pink summer dress
• a big bottle of fabric conditioner
• £2 makeup brush sets
• headbands
• a bow clip
• a mirror phone case
• a bracelets
• some necklaces
• a zip-up top
• a savings wallet for cash stuffing
• bras and pants
• 12 lip liners
• another top

The amount of new purchases she is making to make this content is crazy! And all the videos start in the same way, like ‘I’ve just got my hands on this viral product I’ve seen all over TikTok shop’ and lots of emphasis about how cheap it is, how good quality it is, and how they are going to buy it in more colours. 

Her videos get around 500 views each and she’s had a few go viral. Apparently, the idea is to make lots of content and hope some take off to get a commission. It’s just one example of people using TikTok trends to influence people to buy more products than they need to make money. 

This type of culture can result in more waste ending up in landfills, people spending too much money and even credit card debt. 

The Rise of the ‘Deinfluencing’ Trend on TikTok

In response to the cycle of overconsumption triggered by influencer marketing, a new trend has emerged on TikTok: ‘deinfluencing’. This trend involves TikTok creators urging their followers not to fall into the trap of overconsumption. These ‘deinfluencers’ often post videos highlighting the unnecessary nature of many of the products being promoted by influencers.

Deinfluencing involves a shift away from the typical endorsement style of influencer marketing. Rather than promoting new products, deinfluencers critique popular products and discourage their followers from purchasing them. In doing so, they aim to break the cycle of overconsumption and encourage their followers to be more mindful consumers. Deinfluencers often emphasise the importance of only buying what is necessary and avoiding the lure of trendy products.

The deinfluencing trend is not just about breaking the cycle of overconsumption. It is also about promoting a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly lifestyle. By discouraging overconsumption, deinfluencers are indirectly promoting a reduction in waste and a decrease in the demand for new products, which can have a positive impact on the environment. This reflects a growing awareness of climate change and a desire to take action among TikTok users.

The rise of deinfluencing presents both challenges and opportunities for brands. On the one hand, the trend could pose a threat to brands that rely heavily on influencer marketing. On the other hand, it could present an opportunity for brands to engage in more sustainable and ethical practices, and to build trust with consumers by being transparent and responsive to criticism.

The Future of Influencer Marketing

The rise of deinfluencing signals a shift in influencer marketing towards authenticity. As consumers become more aware of the impact of their consumption habits, there is a growing demand for honest and authentic product reviews. This shift presents an opportunity for influencers to build trust with their followers by providing honest and unbiased reviews of products. It’s important that social media influencers encourage people to only buy what they need and give thoughtful recommendations, rather than promoting anything that comes their way. 

How To Responsibly Promote Products

As full-time blogger, I often get asked to promote products. I don’t have many TikTok followers or Instagram followers so I don’t see myself as a content creator, I’m more of a blogger who also has social media. 

It’s important to remember that you can promote products. The key is to stand by the products you are talking about. 

Only Promote Products You Genuinely Like

I reject products all the time. These are not a fit for me or I don’t believe in them. I only show products that I think are worth buying. I’ve worked with many brands whose products I have bought myself before even walking together. I lot of products I reject tend to be around healthcare products, such as supplements.

I often get PR packages, and if they are not up to my standard, I don’t talk about them. 

Talk About The Pros and Cons

If there is something about a product I don’t like, but still like it overall, I be sure to mention the negatives also. There is no point in marketing a product as perfect to get more sales. You damage your reputation and encourage people to buy rubbish. 

Consider The Environment

I love promoting products that are good for the environment! I don’t follow trend cycles or fast fashion. When I buy something for my home or an item of clothing, I use it for years! I believe in spending more money on an item that will last longer, than less on many items that have a negative environmental impact and break easily. 

TikTok is full of younger consumers who are likely to buy products from a TikTok video. The TikTok algorithm will target users and the more consumer content they watch, the more they will see on their FYP. 

It’s fun to have nice things and get a bargain, but we have to ask ourselves if really need it or if are we just being influenced. 

Do you think TikTok Influencers Are Promoting Overconsumption?

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