Breakups! Why brands and influencers go their separate ways—and how to avoid it?

Fact: we are the biggest fans of long-term ambassadorships and lasting brand–creator partnerships.
Fact no. 2: not every collaboration lasts as long as we’d like.

Why? Our Head of Business Development and influencer marketing strategist Fausta Barauskaitė shares the most common reasons for breakups—and the antidotes to them.

Why do creators and brands break up?

Brand–influencer collaborations are often described using relationship metaphors: “mutual chemistry,” “relationships take work,” “unrequited feelings,” and so on. But we look at the relationship between brands and content creators through the lens of employee loyalty. Employers (brands) need motivated employees (content creators), and employees (content creators) need motivation that goes beyond financial compensation.

That’s why breakups usually happen when both sides burn out. Brands quickly notice that too little attention is being paid to content about them, while influencers realize they’ve received the exact same brief as dozens of others.

How to damage the relationship—either as a brand with an influencer, or as a creator with a brand?

There’s no single path to a soured relationship with a brand ambassador or long-term partner. From the creator’s perspective, the most common reasons for breakups are related to:

• Lack of respect. Disrespect for a creator’s time when content isn’t planned in advance, micromanagement practices, or unconstructive feedback on influencer content—all of this gradually erodes the relationship.
• Lack of connection. When creators aren’t given the opportunity to experience the product or service and get to know the brand more deeply, it’s difficult to ensure a successful long-term collaboration.
• Low involvement. One-sided decisions kill motivation, especially when influencers aren’t heard and are expected to simply execute instructions.

That said, brands also want to be heard. They value sincere creator involvement, creative enthusiasm, and—most importantly—loyalty. A brand doesn’t want to see its ambassador photographed on the street with a competitor’s product.

Recipes for successful relationships

The challenges are clear—just like in any workplace. But since we don’t sit at the same table with influencers every day, coming up with engagement practices can be tricky. To make the creative process easier, we’ve put together a shortlist inspired by successful examples from Lithuania and abroad.

Collaboration without micromanagement – Lidl bread campaign

A creative brief that allowed plenty of freedom and an unrestricted content production process empowered Lidl ambassadors to create a record-breaking campaign. Bold content from comedians and others, unexpected duos, and stories reflecting creators’ life twists received huge attention.

A behind-the-scenes partnership – Amelija Kuzmarskė’s visit to the Pieno žvaigždės factory

Factory visits, introductions to production processes, or insights into craftsmanship help creators truly immerse themselves in the brand they represent—and strengthen the relationship.

Unique gifts that reinforce friendship – Tarte Cosmetics gifting influencers a private chef experience

You don’t always need to invent a new way to cleverly deliver products to creators’ doorsteps. Sometimes it’s possible (and beneficial!) to gift your attention by pampering or surprising brand ambassadors. You might say, “we already pay them well”—true, but only a warm personal connection ensures your relationship won’t end the moment a higher-paying brand appears.

Exclusive product testing – Poppi soft drinks “mystery box”

These gifts made waves online, inviting both influencers and their followers to guess which new flavors would hit the shelves. Such conceptual campaigns require preparation, but you can achieve a similar effect more simply—for example, by inviting influencers to test, taste, smell, or experience prototypes of your new products. You’ll not only spark content creation but also receive valuable feedback from your brand representatives—what could be better? We especially recommend this strategy for food and cosmetics brands.

Stepping outside influencers’ social media profiles

By using influencers’ likenesses in outdoor or TV advertising, inviting them to events, or otherwise placing them beyond social media, you strengthen your brand’s association with chosen creators while helping influencers gain additional visibility. This worked perfectly with Inidė Jasnauskaitė’s appearance in Mionetto non-alcoholic sparkling wine TV ads—long live mutual benefit!

P.S. You can also apply this context-switching idea in reverse, for example by inviting TV personalities to become your brand’s influencers—just as Apple did with the actors from the series Severance.