For a long time, a logic prevailed in the influencer market: sending a product to a creator and waiting – almost always subtly – for them to post something in return. No contract. No guarantee. No compensation.
They called it a strategy. But in practice, what was seen was a model disguised as collaboration that ended up normalizing the exploitation of creative work.
It’s massive seeding, sending out thousands of kits hoping to gain visibility without paying. It’s a practice that has become routine in many brands, but in 2025, with the mature Creator Economy and available data, it’s worth questioning if this logic still makes any sense.
Spoiler: it doesn’t.
At BrandLovers, we simulated comparing the classic seeding model with structured campaigns, paid and conducted with validated creators. The scenario was as follows:
- Seeding: 100 thousand kits sent, with logistics and product cost averaging R$ 80 per unit. Result? Just over 5% of influencers posted something. The average reach was 400 people per content, totaling about 2 million people impacted. The estimated CPV was R$ 2.66.
- Structured campaign with paid creators: same budget (R$ 7 million), but distributed among thousands of creators with segmented audiences and real delivery rates – an actual media campaign. Paying an average of R$ 400 per post, we will have about 4 thousand guaranteed views per delivery, totaling over 40 million views. In this scenario, the PPV is below R$ 0.18. In other words, R$ 2.48 lower than the seeding campaign.
What do these numbers say? Insisting on the free model costs dearly. It costs in efficiency, in reputation, and in real impact.
Content is work. And work needs to be rewarded.
It’s not just a matter of media efficiency. It’s about respect. It’s also about coherence with the discourse of brands that claim to be ‘pro-creators’, yet in practice still treat influencers as volunteers working towards generating earned media.
Each piece of content involves planning, execution, editing, and exposure. The notion that ‘the product itself is payment enough’ disregards the complexity and value of what is being delivered. It’s no wonder that, faced with this, the market is reacting.
Creators are taking a stand and denouncing the outdated model. And the increasingly attentive audience begins to notice who appreciates those behind the camera — and who just seeks cheap attention.
The risk is not only low delivery. It’s about wearing out those who matter.
Seeding on a large scale is uncontrollable simply because there is no guaranteed narrative. In practice, there is no brand safety, much less real measurement.
In the simulation we conducted, the content generated through seeding was mostly a static photo, lacking storytelling, with very low engagement and no message control. On the other hand, structured campaigns delivered videos with narrative, social proof, brand context, validated by AI, and audited securely.
Furthermore, the atmosphere among the creators who participated in the seeding can be, in many cases, negative. Public complaints about exploitation and lack of payment have become frequent. This undermines the brand’s symbolic capital and compromises future collaborations with qualified talents.
It’s not about abandoning seeding. It’s about abandoning the expectation of returns without reciprocity.
Sending products can (and should) be part of the strategy, but it needs to be in the right place: as awareness, a gesture of courtesy, or an entry point. Never as the main activation channel.
Therefore, what should guide actions from now on is simple:
- If the brand expects delivery, it needs to offer counteroffer.
- If the campaign depends on creators, they need to be at the center of the strategy and budget.
Exploitation is not scale. It’s delay.
Treating creators as serious media is not just a matter of justice, it’s a smart decision. Campaigns with contract, briefing, guaranteed results, and clear remuneration deliver more, with less noise, and much more impact.
Content made by the creator should be paid for. And if your brand still hasn’t understood this, maybe it’s time to rethink not only the strategy but also the respect for those who make influence happen.
