An Influencer Tried to Get a Free Stay at a Luxury Tagaytay Hotel. It Did Not Go as Planned

Since the start of the age of the so-called ‘social media influencer,’ there have been many stories of these new-generation endorsers attempting to exchange clout and influence for products, hotel stays, and many other freebies. Sometimes, it works, with both parties satisfied with the collaborations. Other times, not so much. 

According to online platform Starngage.com, which tracks over 17,000 influencers in the country—ranging from those with just 1,000 to over 10 million followers—the top three in the list are celebrity superstars Anne Curtis, Liza Soberano, and Kathryn Bernando, each with over 16million followers.

ALSO READ

7 Socialite Influencers You Need to Follow on Instagram

$1.6 Million Per Post? These Are the World's Most Expensive Instagram Accounts

We saw a post by motoring journalist Botchi Santos, who works as a marketing consultant for the luxury hotel Escala Tagaytay, about a recent brush with one of these influencers.

Santos wrote:

Dear influencer with 100k+ followers

We apologize for the seen zone.

Unfortunately before we could come up with an appropriate response, (with the approval of the right person / manager who is different from the person manning our social media channels) you brushed us off really quickly.

We are sorry if our timeliness does not meet your expectations. We did give you the option to call us with our working schedule & contact details if you felt it to be very urgent and could not wait.

There is also the small matter of you messaging on a Sunday midnight. The people who decide decide on such requests have other obligations (READ: live their own private personal lives) as well on weekends.

(PS Definitely not the RIGHT way to ask for something FREE.)

#entitledmuch
#rude 

— feeling silly

Santos posted screencaps of the influencer’s message, a typical solicitation looking to collaborate with a hotel establishment for a free stay. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the proposal, but the follow-up response was rather uncool. The influencer wrote: “Thanks for the seen zone.” 

Asking for a one-night stay isn’t unreasonable either, and the influencer did give a range of two months (February to March) for the hotel to pick a date. But sending the messaging at around midnight on a Sunday and then expecting an immediate reply shows that the influencer apparently still has a lot to learn.

Here’s hoping other influencers won’t make the same mistake in the future.