Candid, a bit spicy, and very practical. Chantel unpacks why “influencer is dead” hot-takes miss the point, and lays out how to treat influencer as a channel with its own strategy, not a magic performance button. In this deep dive, Chantel breaks down the four influencer archetypes , when to pay for usage over posts, how to avoid discount-code fatigue, and the 2–3 month partnership structures that actually work. Plus a rapid Smash or Pass on what to invest in (and what to skip) this year. Data-sprinkled, brand-first, leaving the fluff behind.

What you’ll learn

• The four influencer archetypes As described by someone who is actively playing in the industry.

• Brand vs performance: Why influencer sits primarily in brand marketing, what performance signals are realistic, and why usage rights often matter more than an in-feed post.

• Discount codes (and fatigue): When to ditch them for prestige positioning, and how to measure impact without over-indexing on codes.

• Choosing talent: Red flags (60–70% sponsored feed), why origin stories matter, and balancing a clear brief with creator freedom.

• Winning plays for 2025: 2–3 month narrative partnerships, co-branded collabs, and engineered seeding moments that create real demand (only if the product is actually great).