In social media feeds, where content can continually suggest something to buy, some voices are encouraging audiences to keep their wallets closed.

That is the promise of de-influencing: advising against products, tempering enthusiasm, and explaining why a much-hyped purchase might be unnecessary or disappointing. A negative review can offer useful information and ease the pressure to own the latest must-have item. It can also make audiences feel they have found an influencer they can trust.

How does that trust affect subsequent recommendations?

This question is central to Let me deinfluence you! The impacts of deinfluencing content, a study by Valeria Penttinen, Robert Ciuchita and Susanne Pedersen, published on March 17, 2026, in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. In one experiment, two groups watch videos featuring the same creator: one sees her recommend a sunscreen, while the other sees her advise against it. Both then watch her recommend a body lotion from another brand. The product recommended at the end is the same; what differs is what the audience has seen beforehand.

Understanding the significance of this comparison means looking at the context in which that purchase recommendation reaches its audience. A recipe, a routine filmed in front of a mirror, an account of a trip: on social media, a product can become part of the narrative of everyday life. Recommendations and ads carry that content beyond the creator’s own followers. This is the space in which influencer marketing operates: as defined by the American Marketing Association, it involves people who can influence potential buyers in spreading a brand’s message.

The commercial value of this relationship also depends on the reputation of the person making the recommendation. In a 2025 IAB report, 58% of brands identify creator reputation as one of their top criteria when selecting creators for partnerships. Companies are looking for someone whose judgment audiences are willing to trust.

Labels such as ad, sponsored or paid partnership help audiences understand the relationship behind a recommendation. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission requires the disclosure of material connections to a brand, including payment and free products. Knowing that a commercial relationship exists allows audiences to assess the advice as an advertising message as well. There is still the question of how they perceive the person offering it: how knowledgeable, discerning and independent do they seem?

A negative review can shape precisely that perception. In the sunscreen experiment, participants who had seen the creator advise against it report greater trust in her and a stronger intention to buy the body lotion she subsequently recommends. The research involves a total of 1,456 participants and measures purchase intentions, not actual sales.

According to the authors, advising against a product can reduce skepticism about an influencer’s motives. The trust gained in this way can make subsequent recommendations more persuasive: a willingness to criticize one purchase can encourage the intention to make another.

A recommendation, however, remains one of several factors shaping a choice. A YouGov analysis published in June 2026 finds that 41% of U.S. Gen Z adults discover new products through influencers or bloggers, compared with 27% of adults overall. A separate survey focused on TikTok Shop, conducted in May 2025, shows that discounts and convenience also factor into purchasing decisions. Encountering a recommendation and deciding to act on it are distinct steps.

Meanwhile, platforms are shortening the path from recommendation to shopping cart. Instagram connects products to content through tags that direct users to a seller’s store; TikTok Shop allows purchases to be completed within the app. Through affiliate marketing, a qualifying sale can earn the creator a commission.

De-influencing leaves a question open: does it change the relationship with consumption, or simply redirect spending? Advising against a product can prevent a purchase or steer it elsewhere. What remains to be seen is how much room there is, between one recommendation and the next, to leave the cart empty.