Danish
Don’t ever think being on the internet means you are privileged.
The whole, sort of, the idea of a 9 to 5 job is in danger. This is the era of online influencers. Social media influencers create dynamic, unique, and very interesting content and upload it on the internet. The projects are very cost-efficient and the revenue model is very effective. These social media influencers work hard to gain a massive fan following and the earnings set most of them for life. The examples of Logan Paul, Pewfiepie, KSI, and all the TikTokers are right before you, just check out their annual wealth on Google (not real, but to get an idea). Be it using the platform of YouTube to vlog about your day, Twitch to live to stream your gaming talent, being a supermodel on Instagram, there is no doubt that these influencers make a huge living out of this. No, this is not a lifehack or an opportunity to exploit profits anymore, this is a full-fledge business booming year on year. Make the size of it from the fact that the global influencer Instagram market has grown up to $2 Billion, and that’s just Instagram. For the industry in overall terms, we are talking tens of billions of dollars. Huge!
Now there is a British vlogger named Elle Darby who took the influencer entitlement a little too far as she got into a feud with a very successful businessman, Paul Stenson. Paul is the owner of Charleville Lodge Hotel and The White Moose Cafe in Dublin. Basically, what happened was that Elle asked the hotel to give her free accommodation in exchange for a shoutout.
Here’s the email Elle sent to Charville Lodge Hotel.
The influencer wanted to do a collaboration.
They packed a nice fan following as well, about 150,000 in total. Sweet.
Here’s the pitch – full of self-appreciation and shameless promotion only to get free hotel stay.
They sure did let her know.
This news reached the owner of the hotel himself, Paul Stenson. He was very furious at this odd request. Given they are social media influencers, they surely earn enough to buy 10 rooms in the hotel, yet they demanded a free room.
So Paul Stenson decided to respond to the email. And they responded on a social media platform making the post visible to all users.
The owner decided to take the influencer through the expense sheet that she clearly ignored. She wanted to stay at the expense of all those who worked there.
Owner presents the influencer with a stat sheet of their own showcasing that they have a huge fan following and don’t require any shoutouts.
They were constantly reminded of the fact that they were a demand for services that everyone else pays to get, then who in the Gods name are they to ask for those services for free? Fire!
They advised not to ask for free gifts, but offer free shoutouts and use your platform to promote good and maybe the organization will gift you something in return.
And they closed with a simple, sweet rejection.
Once the response was shared on the hotel’s Facebook page, the internet was swept away by it. Most of the people who read Paul’s response to the influencer’s request agreed with Paul and bashed the influencer for her act as well. But the bashing went a little too far and people started abusing her in the worst way possible; sending her death threats and making inappropriate cancer jokes.
Influencer decided to make a video about it addressing the situation
They emphasized, “My issue was not with the refusal of my request but with how he reacted.” And Paul’s hotel got free exposure from all this drama.
He went all out and actually banned all bloggers from taking accommodation in his hotel in order to teach a lesson on entitlement.
Here’s how the internet users reacted:
Well, well, well.
The responses weren’t helping the influencer’s case either.
Oof! No filters!
There is something about the influencers, nobody seems to like them.
What is your input on this? Now I realize there will be some influencers who will not like this treatment but let’s see how the comments section reacts. Scroll down below to share your opinions.