Hi, I’m Whitney, and I have a control problem. 

It’s actually one of the reasons I started watercolor painting. 

If you’ve never painted with watercolor before, it’s nothing like any other kind of media. Watercolor paints are just going to go wherever their hearts take them. 

And for someone who really likes precision work – it’s a test of my ability to let go of control. Not even Bob Ross worked with watercolors. 

But what’s cool is that there’s something really beautiful about the organic chaos. And it’s even cooler to lean into that. 

In influencer marketing, unlike other niches, there’s so much you just can’t control. And if you run a gifting campaign, you’ve just tripled the things you can’t control. 

Case in point: I ran a gifting survey a few weeks ago. When I asked marketers if they could magically “poof” away any issue in gifting the majority said something around logistics. 

For example:

When I looked at them carefully, I realized some of them were controllable, and some of them just weren’t.

So, let’s talk about what you can and can’t control in gifting, and how to deal with both. 

I found that the biggest issue causing logistics problems was internal disorganization and delays. Thankfully, this stuff is usually within our control.

It always gets sticky when you start bringing other teams into the mix. They have their own goals and issues, and when you add in yours – it’s a recipe for disaster. 

But – this is also where you can really shine. Because you can control (or finesse) internal delays. 

Be proactive. Work with your contacts on the logistics side and ask them what system would fit into what they’re already doing. Walk them through your own goals, see how you can mesh your working styles (and let’s face it: tech stacks) together.

It’s crucial that everyone be on the same page – and if that means getting your boss to throw her weight around, so be it.

Now that I bring up bosses. Be transparent with them. Show them the different moving parts you’re managing, and, if needed, talk about adjusting KPIs or expectations. You are sure to find a way to make things run more smoothly when everyone involved is on the same page.

The second-largest challenge was delays in customs and duties.

Oof. Look, this situation isn’t going to get any better any time soon. And we can’t control it any more than we can tell the sun not to rise. So that means we need our SPF and sunglasses on at dawn. 😎

In other words:  

Unless you’re totally opting out of international gifting, bake in the delays. You know which numbers you need to hit, and how long outreach takes. You’re probably already planning for that, so add in the delays that customs and duties might tack on. 

After all, if you’re feeling the socio-political woes of shipping internationally, your logistics team felt it long before you did. This is another opportunity to ask them for practical advice on planning for delays.

And, most of all, be open with your creators about it. Do what you can to keep them engaged, because the last thing you want is for their excitement to wane after your gift took 2 months to reach them. Talk through potential delays, double-check preferences, sizes, and colors, and keep in touch with them while they wait.

That’s kind of the beauty and curse of influencer marketing. It’s all so human and messy.  

And logistics problems happen. You can’t control them any more than I can control where the paint on my paper goes, how many of you read this email, or whether my new kitten will please. just. go. in. the. box. 

But if we can’t control it, we have to be transparent about what’s happening – and if we can do that, we can control how a relationship with a creator, our teams, and our bosses goes. 

And that’s loads easier than trying to control the Strait of Hormuz. 

Still waiting on my own packages to clear customs, 

Whitney 
Content R&D at Modash. Send hate mail to LinkedIn

Oh man, if you’re not following Hayley Morris, you’re missing out. 

Who they are: Hayley Morris started creating comedy sketches online while bored during lockdown. Today, she’s amassed millions of followers, is a published author, and award-winning content creator and comedian. 

Why she’s worth a follow: She does these sketches where she personifies different parts of her body – and frankly, they’re side-splitting. Highly relatable content and just pure entertainment. 

Dream collab: Funnily enough (and this might be for the gals here), but I stumbled across this video of “my boobs in” where she acts out how boobs behave in different kinds of bras. IYKYK. 

I was watching it, and my marketing brain said “this would be a killer collab with a bra company.” I think probably a company that focuses on comfort would be the play – like Snag, who launched lingerie not too long ago.

If you've discovered a creator that you love and have a dream collab in mind, shoot us an email at [email protected] so we can share it with the group.