Are PR Packages Overkill? The Truth Behind Influencer Marketing

By: Meaghan Frank, Rock PRSSA Vice President

Picture Christmas morning – waking up with presents under the tree, the excitement of what you may open and the joy that comes with gift giving during a magical time each year. Now, imagine experiencing that every single day. Would the “gifts” lose their magic? Would they still feel as special?

The debate centers around the comparison between gift-giving and PR mailings. Every day, companies send packages filled with new and seasonal products to micro-influencers, social media celebrities and bloggers. From various shades of foundations to every imaginable flavor of soda, brands use sponsored gifting as a marketing tactic to gain visibility and popularity amongst social media's booming influencers. But is this a sustainable method?

Take social media influencer Darcy McQueeny, for example. In early 2024, she shared her “PR Unboxing Series,” showing stacks of boxes piled to the ceiling. Viewers began to question if this was acceptable or unethical in terms of consumption and waste. At first glance at these videos, it looks like McQueeny was being buried with cardboard boxes.
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​Gift-giving began as an occasional opportunity to give influencers items that connect with their brand, identity and followers. Originally, “influencer marketing” was meant to be authentic and offered a way for influencers to genuinely share products they actually use and love, showing their followers real consumer choices. PR package unboxings also create user generated content, with the purpose to give authentic opinions into products influencers use daily and trust.

This method of generating user-generated content was supposed to help influencers provide honest opinions about trusted products. With an overflow of PR mail and unboxing videos, it has turned into a controversial trend that often leaves viewers with FOMO (fear of missing out) and a feeling that they can’t keep up without purchasing certain items. According to Secomapp, 56% of people are afraid of missing out on events, news and status updates if they’re not online.

Although the influencers aren’t to blame, companies have paid many popular influencers to rave about their products to boost sales and brand image. The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report, published by Sprout Social, a top provider of social media management tools, reveals that 49% of consumers make purchases on a daily, weekly or monthly basis influenced by influencer posts. Additionally, 30% of consumers report trusting influencers more now than they did just six months prior.

Once followers began to notice the lack of emotion and authenticity in videos, they started to unfollow and unsubscribe. The shift had backfired and caused companies to seem tone deaf, disconnected and wasteful. Many companies didn’t acknowledge the uniqueness of each influencer and instead seem like they’re blatantly using them for views.

What is the solution? Organizations could donate and give gifts to those in need rather than providing a high-earning social media influencer $1,000 worth of free clothing. This would better serve the influencer to donate to a cause that provides them with pride, dignity and personality in their brand. Another approach would be to make genuine connections with other organizations, through research and active engagement online.
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This is not unlike some of the pushback and criticism that PR practitioners received years ago when mailing journalists costly and elaborate media kits in hopes of them covering a brand’s new product or announcement. This time, the debate continues but in the digital space.

There is still magic in gift-giving – when it’s special, unique, sentimental and impactful. Before big business results in mailing products for a quick dollar, it would be better to spend the time building honest connections between the influencers and their public to make their packages worthwhile. In the end, public relations isn’t about quick results. Public relations has a purpose to build credibility and to maintain meaningful networks, especially in the digital world.