A person with a massive social media following has the chance to make a living out of creating content for public platforms. In the past couple of years, many are earning a decent sum through platforms like Instagram and YouTube through brand collaborations. It seems like a luxurious and easy life. However, the reality behind the scenes can be very different from what appears on our screens.
Brands often reach out to influencers and celebrities with collaboration requests but fail to pay them properly. They expect endorsements for low fees or even just free products, calling it a “barter collaboration.” Some brands also push for partnerships without the “paid partnership” tag, making it seem like the influencer genuinely supports the product for free. These practices are unfair and distasteful because they undervalue the influencer’s time, effort, and influence.
Zeenat Aman, who has managed to attract a decent following on social media, recently opened up about this problem. She slammed brands expecting her to partner with them for a low fee and even accused them of being disrespectful while communicating with her. All this makes her feel “undervalued”.
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“Amidst the barrage of collaboration and appearance requests that materialise in my inbox each day, there are some that stand out for unpleasant reasons. Last minute invitations that the organiser forgot to edit (and which are addressed to another celebrity who must have declined) are mildly insulting. Impolite emails with minimal details and brusque ‘share commercials’ are infuriating. And shady proposals to post stories or comments without the paid partnership tag are distasteful,” she wrote.
She also criticized luxury brands, who sell their basic items for an exorbitant rate but when it comes to paying a digital creator fairly, their wells run dry.
“Yet none of these compare to the impudence of multimillion dollar brands that expect my endorsement in exchange for ‘brand association’ and a ludicrously low fee. Such luxury brands pay an eye watering penny to their ambassadors (one of whom beautifully reprised a role I originally played), and sell even their most basic item for multiple lakhs of rupees. In their outreach to me they do not fail to express their admiration, with generous terms such as ‘icon’ and ‘fashion inspiration’. But when it comes to actually compensating me for my time, energy, reputation and reach… the well runs dry.”
She went on to stress on the fact how she is 70 years old and has held her own in the entertainment industry. She can do the same in the age of social media too.
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“I am certainly worth more than the price of a designer handbag or high-heel shoe,” she wrote.
Have a look at her full post here:
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Kudos to Zeenat Aman for standing her ground and setting the right example for younger influencers!