Influencer Review Campaigns: How Brands Gift Products & Get Reviews

What is a Gifted Product Review?

A gifted product review is when a brand sends an influencer a free product in exchange for their honest feedback shared with their audience in the form of a social photo or video.

Unlike an organic review—where the influencer buys and reviews a product on their own—this type of review happens with the understanding that the influencer will create content around the gifted item.

Content brands earn from influencer gifting campaigns tends to feel more authentic than brand-generated ads by default. Unlike true user-generated content (UGC) with no brand involvement, a gifted product review is more of a planned partnership that aligns with the brand’s marketing goals.

Gifted product reviews blur the line between organic UGC and branded content. When influencers are gifted relevant products that they legitimately love, their reactions and the resulting content can feel organic even if it's technically sponsored.

And as a result, gifted reviews can be incredibly valuable for brands. Especially when done at scale.

Why Are Influencer Product Reviews So Important?

• Establishing trust. Influencer content represents real people showing off your products. Simple as. Whether sponsored or not, influencer reviews build credibility for brands (especially if a creator legitimately enjoys what they're promoting).
  
  
• Gathering valuable feedback before a product launch: Sending products to influencers before a launch allows you to better understand what types of messaging resonate with customers. Beyond that, you can get a head-start on building anticipation for your new product line.
  
  
• Generating more user-generated content. The more UGC you have on hand, the better. Consider how you can repurpose influencer content for ads, product pages and beyond (granted you have the rights to repost it).
  
  
• Encouraging future collabs. Consider how Successful gifting campaigns can lead to more influencer partnerships and more attention on your influencer community. This can result in a sort of snowball effect that results in more reach and eyes on your brand.

Do Influencers Need to Disclose Gifted Products in Reviews?

Yes, influencers must disclose any gifted products they receive.

This applies even if there is no direct financial payment involved.

FTC guidelines are explicit: the value of the "free" product is considered compensation and must be disclosed "clearly and prominently."

Using hashtags like "#sponsored" or "#gifted" is common practice, but these tags must be easy to see and understand. That means no hiding them among other hashtags or text. Disclosures should be clear to avoid misleading consumers.

What Does the FTC Recommend for Influencer Disclosures?

Here's a quick rundown of the FTC's rules:

• The FTC emphasizes the importance of transparency and honesty. Influencers should only share their genuine opinions about a product. Misleading claims or exaggerations are not allowed.
  
  
• Each time an influencer posts as part of a gifting campaign or a brand partnership, they need to include a disclosure. There are no exceptions.
  
  
• Brands should communicate these requirements clearly to influencers to ensure every piece of content remains compliant.
  
  
• Influencers should also be mindful of platform-specific rules and use built-in tools like Instagram’s “Paid partnership with” tag when possible. These tools should not replace direct disclosures, though.

For reference, here's an influencer product review with a clear disclosure: 

What About Using Influencer Reviews for Promotion in Ads?

• When a brand wants to use influencer content for its promotions, it’s crucial to remember that influencers own their content—even if the product was gifted. Brands need to ask for permission for usage rights before reposting or using an influencer's review content for marketing purposes.
  
  
• One major exception is when there is a "Work for Hire" agreement in place, where a UGC creator has agreed in writing that the brand owns the rights to any content created during the partnership before making it.
  
  
• Thankfully for brands, the process of turning review posts into ads is easier thanks to features like TikTok Spark Ads and Instagram's Partnership Ads. Granted your influencers' posts are compliant and their gifted products are disclosed, these features allow you to instantly turn your influencers' content into ads.

How to Run a Compliant Influencer Review Campaign

When done right, influencer gifting campaigns can boost brand awareness and create authentic, trustworthy content that resonates with potential customers.

And to make the most of influencer product reviews while staying compliant, brands should:

• Clearly communicate disclosure expectations with influencers
• Provide guidance on how to use clear language in their content
• Regularly check for updates on FTC guidelines and platform-specific rules
• Consider consulting a marketing attorney or expert for additional guidance
• Use an influencer gifting platform that requires compliance with FTC guidelines

Following these guidelines not only keeps you out of legal trouble but also strengthens your relationship with both influencers and consumers.

If you want to get gifted content and reviews from vetted influencers at scale, Statusphere's software can help. 

Our micro-influencer software matches brands with vetted influencers from our creator community. Unlike other platforms, we can guarantee a specific volume of content for brands. Our campaign setup also makes sure that creators comply with guidelines that you set so are no headaches when it comes to FTC compliance.

Want to see how our platform works? Get in touch with one of our experts to learn how we can optimize your brand’s marketing efforts with guaranteed content at scale.

Disclaimer: We're influencer marketing specialists, not lawyers ourselves! This content is not legal advice and you should definitely consult a legal professional based on your needs and questions. We do not make any guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information and take no liability or legal obligations for your use of this information.