A brief overview of what is currently trending in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
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Celsius Recall: High Noon is recalling its Beach Variety 12-packs after some cans were mislabeled as Celsius energy drinks.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Takeaways From Kis Cafe’s Influencer Clash
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What It Is: A new wine bar in San Francisco is facing controversy over its co-owner’s treatment of a microinfluencer, Karla, who was invited there to film a collaboration for her TikTok. Instead, Karla (@itskarlabb) cancelled the collaboration and posted a video detailing her experience with Kis Cafe’s co-owner and chef, Luke Sung. Karla said he criticized her 15,000 follower count as not high enough, brought up his daughter’s much larger following, and implied that Karla’s audience could not afford to dine at the wine bar. Karla’s video went viral – gaining over 23 million views, 2.2 million likes, and bringing 400,000 new followers to her profile – with users, brands, and high-profile creators like Tana Mongeau and Alex Cooper coming to her defense in the comments. As a result, Kis Cafe has experienced such extreme backlash online, receiving negative review-bombs, that it led to the bar’s permanent closure and restructuring.
The Brand Takeaway: This collaboration-gone-wrong reflects the true influence and power that creators have in this era of social marketing. In today’s algorithmic world, every opinion matters — regardless of follower count. Social media users increasingly see smaller influencers as more trustworthy and authentic, and microinfluencers are succeeding at building highly engaged audiences through their shared niche interests. When working with influencers of any audience size, brands should be respectful, establish clear goals and expectations, and do proper vetting to ensure alignment with the brand’s values and needs. In the age of “cancel culture,” it pays to treat all creators with kindness and understand that small but loyal audiences can have outsized influence over public opinion. As the line between accountability and bullying continues to blur online, the decision to treat brand partners and customers with sensitivity can make or break a brand’s reputation.
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