Ways to Respond When an Influencer Posts a Not-So-Favorable Review

Written By

Dix & Eaton

This insight post is a summary of the original blog post published by Nicolle Huffman at Dix and Eaton. View the originalblog post: 5 ways to respond when an influencer posts a not-so-favorable review. 

Influencer marketing is a term that many in the industry are now familiar with. Brands that participate in influencer marketing typically are searching to promote authenticity and genuine interest in its products or services. But what should you do if an influencer gives you two thumbs down? Our partners at Dix and Eaton are going to tell you by using one particular example.  

For those of you that may not know, Elyse Myers is an influencer who is authentic, kind, and laugh out loud funny. Since October 2021, Elyse’s TikTok following has grown from 1 million to 4 million, and she has a million followers on Instagram. Safe to say, she’s got some influence over people. 

HOWEVER, one brand that may be shaking in its boots right now is Dyson. Elyse recently shared her personal review of the $600 Dyson Airwrap (essentially a blow dryer/curler combo) and gave it a 2 out of 10. She shared that she purchased this on her own so she could share her honest feedback on it, and it did not fare well for Dyson. So, from a brand strategy standpoint, what should they do? Here are a few ways Dyson could respond (and there might be a nugget or two in here for your brand to learn from too): 

#1: Respond to Elyse 

No “clapback” or anything, but a response from Dyson is needed. Maybe something witty would help ease tensions, as many people are commenting on how Dyson’s customer service is bad. Doing so would at least show Elyse’s millions of followers that the brand is listening and trying to make things right.  

#2: Offer a demo to Elyse 

Dyson could offer an in-house demo of how to use the Dyson Airwrap to achieve the look Elyse wants to potentially recover from the unflattering product review. They could film the demo and, assuming Elyse likes the outcome, she could do a follow up video as a tutorial to show others how to use it. 

#3: Ask current customers for ratings 

Use an online rating tool to get customer feedback that will hopefully provide positive feedback. Once collected, start using that content across various platforms to show while the blowout look wasn’t for Elyse, there are customers that are happy with the product. This customer feedback could even be made into ads and promoted to key audiences to show how some customers have a strong affinity for the product. 

Whether it be Dyson or your brand, you should have a plan in place in case an influencer posts negative reviews or content about your product or service. I wrote this blog post three hours after she posted her review, and it already has nearly a million views, 150,000 likes and nearly 5,000 comments on TikTok. So clearly, word travels fast and you need to be prepared. 

Read the full blog post to get two more tips on how brands can respond back to poorly-rated reviews from influencers in the full blog post 5 ways to respond when an influencer posts a not-so-favorable review. 

Dix & Eaton is a strategic communications consultancy specializing in investor relations, crisis communications, media relations and marketing communications. Working as trusted partners focused on driving results, Dix & Eaton combines deep experience, foresight and creativity with digital intelligence and analysis to help clients realize the full power of communication and generate greater return on investment. Founded in 1952, Dix & Eaton is 100 percent employee-owned and has twice been named the nation’s best midsized firm.