When super fast fashion retailer Shane Freeman invited Kenya on a free two-week trip to China, she was thrilled. It has become a status symbol for Instagram and TikTok creators who are taken on paid trips by brands, and Ms. Freeman, who has also been designing clothes for Shein for two and a half years, saw a huge opportunity.
But while brands often plan such trips to promote new products or generate buzz online, Sheen’s show was unusual: She was among a half-dozen influencers in the US who were touring its factories and shipping center, meeting the workers. Shein, which has come under increasing regulatory scrutiny while battling accusations that its merchandise is made of forced labor, had hoped the creators would spout a more upbeat narrative about the company during their travels.
That part worked: Ms. Freeman made 11 Instagram posts, including videos glorifying Shein and her working conditions on Instagram, where she has 31,600 followers. She and other creators Shein recruited highlighted tidy stacks of transparent Shein packages, robots hauling goods, and rows of happy workers.
“They weren’t even sweating,” said one of the creators, Destin Sudduth, Share to Instagram and TikTok. (Ms. Sudduth did not respond to a request for comment.)
But instead of winning hearts and minds, Shein and the creators were slammed last week by social media users who watched the videos incredibly. Shein was forced to issue a statement saying she was “saddened” to see the backlash against her creators and conducted what Ms. Freeman called a “wellness check” to assess creators’ performance after the torrent of online vitriol.
The creators deleted negative comments on their social media accounts and posted defense videos. And the trip became a cautionary tale for marketers, as Shein’s efforts helped her reputation for using influencers to alienate consumers and bring more attention to allegations of unsavory business practices.
While the travels of influencers on TikTok and Instagram have intensified, said Mai Karofsky, founder of TikTok.com clearlyinfluencer marketing agency. “It took such a comment of disbelief and it clearly came across as some kind of propaganda.”
In a statement, Shin said the trip “reflects one way we listen to feedback.”
The company added, “Their videos and comments on social media are original, and we respect and stand by each influencer’s perspective and voice on their experience.”
Shein—pronounced SHE-in—an online retailer founded in China more than a decade ago, has quickly gained popularity among American consumers, particularly teens and 20s, for its easy-to-use app and low prices on its wide selection of apparel. and trendy accessories. While most fast fashion companies have long faced criticism over how they produce their merchandise, Shein has been accused of using forced labor in its supply chain and of copying designs; It’s also been scrutinized for its business model of shipping cheap goods directly to American shoppers’ doors. Shein said it is doing business “legally”.
The company, which is now based in Singapore but still produces clothing in China, has also garnered more attention as part of a broader crackdown from US lawmakers on Chinese-owned companies such as TikTok.
Shein, who has reportedly been considering an IPO, has been trying to drum up goodwill after years of relative silence. The company started a clothing resale unit to fend off criticism about sustainability, hired independent designers to create new lines and hired federal lobbyists.
Shein appears to be hoping the influencer’s journey will help counter the steady stream of critical news reports, including British news Investigations by the channel last year revealed that some of its workers were illegally working more than 18 hours a day to create a massive volume of fast fashion, Bloomberg News reports. a report Some of Shein’s clothes are made of cotton from Xinjiang based on laboratory tests that have been done. The US government has banned imports from Xinjiang based on concerns about human rights abuses against the Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim group.
“Shein basically launched this campaign as it is quite clear that there is a desire to change the narrative around working conditions in these factories,” said Krishna Subramanian, founder of influencer marketing firm Captiv8. “It’s more effective and credible when it’s done from the influencer’s point of view than it is from the brand itself.”
In this case, the videos landed a loud bang because they painted a weirdly rosy view of Guangzhou factories and sought to cast online influencers known for designing clothes and promoting body positivity in a quasi-journalist role. While critical reports about the company didn’t seem to deter the retailer’s fans, public praise did stand out.
As creators sought to tell their followers that they’d interviewed happy workers who were surprised by “rumours” about Shein’s US location, users left comments like “Integrity is worth more than a trip,” “Have you read any news about this company?” and “Gaslighting.” crazy!”
Hashtags related to the trip like #sheinbrandtrip, #shein101, and #sheinfactory have garnered millions of views, according to Trendpop, a social media analytics company. On TikTok, deleted videos from creators have taken on a life of their own as people have used the app’s editing tools to incorporate their skeptical and shocking comments.
Creators like Ms. Freeman were baffled by the response. She said she thought that by showing Shein factories through her eyes, people would share her positive experience with the company and the trip, which she found helpful. She said that she had already received hate mail in the past for working with Shein but did not anticipate the severity of the reaction. (Influencers have faced backlash before, due to sponsored travel to Saudi Arabia and more recently a luxury trip to Dubai sponsored by makeup brand Tarte.)
She said she asked the workers and Shein representatives about their working conditions and that they told her they acted with integrity and conducted audits. Moreover, she said, she did not know what else she could do.
“Why can’t I just say this is our truth and my experience working with this company?” Mrs. Freeman said. “This is from my eyes, this is what I see, and this is my experience.”
She added, “My eyes didn’t see what other people were talking about.”
One influencer, Dani Carbonari, who goes by Dani DMC on social media and says she’s a “trust activist,” has faced particular criticism for describing herself as an “investigative journalist” in an Instagram video praising the plant. That video has since been deleted. Ms. Carbonari did not respond to a request for comment.
Indeed, the journey and access Chen has given influencers was in stark contrast to China’s increasingly hostile attitude toward journalists in recent years. Negotiations between the United States and China over new visas for journalists at US news agencies have stalled, according to A March report of the Foreign Correspondents Club in China, and at least one American correspondent with a valid visa was recently denied re-entry to China after leaving the country on a routine trip.
“It’s a really clear example of not using creatives who talk about certain things like lifestyle and fashion and body positivity and then try to get them to push a completely different agenda,” said Ms. Karofsky, influencer marketer. “This won’t work.”
On Tuesday, Mrs. Carbonari to publish An Instagram video of her saying she “should have done more research” and was grateful people sent her information about Shein that she had used to educate herself.
She said, “I hope Shein can be more transparent and answer all your questions, because I can take responsibility for myself and my actions, but I can’t take responsibility for Shein.”
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”