This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
The act of “gifting,” where companies provide influencers with free products in exchange for social media content, is a frustrating but commonplace practice in the creator economy, especially for micro-influencers who are still trying to make a name for themselves.
In October, one TikToker named Renee Rodriguez (@reneedrodriguez) criticized tights brand Sheertex about its approach to sponsored content in a video that amassed over 600,000 views.
“OK, I’ve never gotten messy on this app before, but I’m about to get messy because I just got an email from a brand that really upset me,” Rodriguez said in the video.
According to Rodriguez, the clothing brand, which she identified as Sheertex in a later video, offered her two pairs of tights valued at $50 each in exchange for one TikTok video. She explained this wasn’t a viable option for her because if she is gifted any items valued at $100 or more she has to pay taxes on those items.
