In the world of influencers, brands pay for influencers to say what the brands want them to say. In the case of Shein, what they wanted them to say appears to be at odds with the facts. In this case, the blowback targeted the influencers more than the brand, calling attention to the gloss the company wanted to put on its tarnished reputation. Will every follower of an influencer know every time they’re hearing a manipulated message? We explore the Shein story and its implications in this short mid-week episode.

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The next monthly, long-form episode of FIR will drop on Monday, July 24

We host a Communicators Zoom Chat each Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. For credentials needed to participate, contact Shel or Neville directly, request the credentials in our Facebook group, or email fircomments@gmail.com.

Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.

You can find the stories from which Shel’s FIR content is selected at Shel’s Link Blog. Shel has started a metaverse-focused Flipboard magazine. You can catch up with both co-hosts on Neville’s blog and Shel’s blog. Neville’s Asides blog is also available.

Link from this report:

• What Shein’s misstep means for the influencer marketing industry | Digiday
• Shein Flew Influencers to China to Help Its Image. A Backlash Ensued. | The New York Times
• Shein’s Influencer Trip Backfires Online | Hyperallergic
• How the Shein Brand Trip Became a Disaster for a Group of Influencers | TIME
• Shein denies IPO report | LinkedIn

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