Influencers and journalists (opinion) · Public Relations by Alex

Influencers and journalists (opinion)

I saw on X/Twitter a few days ago perhaps the world's best tech influencer, Marques Brownlee, aka 'MKBHD,' getting roasted for getting a Tesla charging spec wrong.

I worked with Marques and his team as a PR manager on some projects while at a smartphone brand.

Why does this even matter?

My opinion:

The benefit of working with “influencers” for product news/reviews is that you’re hitting a lot of social followers.
Far more than any one particular journalist and some influencers have more followers now than legacy media outlets.
There's something else: often, as a brand, you don't have to worry about the review being anything other than provided talking points — with zero scrutiny.
Many companies - not just Apple - now do this. Indeed, some of the largest brands in our era have been built this way; just look at Fashion with Shein 'hauls' or crypto 'bros' tweeting about coins.
Marques made a mistake based on his own judgment to which Tesla corrected. Big deal? Maybe. It may or may not influence people's purchasing decisions.
Journalists get it wrong, too; I've seen it countless times and had to step in to correct it while working at a brand.

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Public Relations by Alex

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