Are Brands Taking Advantage of Employee Influencers?

As brands shift from paying influencers to using employees as influencers, it’s raising a powerful question: If employees are the talent, should they be paid like it?

There’s a quiet revolution happening in marketing. Instead of writing big checks to influencers, brands are turning inward—handing the spotlight to their own employees. And guess what? It’s working.

Just look at Foot Locker or Alo Yoga. Their employees are front and center—showing up on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube with personality-packed content that drives sales, builds trust, and stops the scroll.

But this new strategy comes with a big, murky question:

Who owns the content?

The brand—or the employee?

Welcome to the Era of Employee-Generated Influence

This shift didn’t happen by accident. Brands are seeing that people trust people—not logos. And when an employee shares a product tip, tries on a new arrival, or shows their workday behind the scenes, it feels more authentic than any paid ad ever could.

Here’s the typical setup:

The *brand** provides the platform and resources.

The *employee** provides the face, voice, and relatability.

The *audience** connects with the person behind the post—not just the product.

This combo is powerful. But it’s also messy.

The Talent Question: Who Really Drives the Sale?

Because if an employee creates a TikTok that goes viral. And there's hundreds of commenting pouring in that are saying “I bought this because of YOU.” The brand profits. But....Should that employee get more than just a pat on the back?

Because if you hired a professional influencer or celebrity spokesperson to do the same thing, you’d be paying them thousands for a single post.

So what makes an employee any different—especially when they’re the reason the content hits? In this new world of blurred lines, ownership gets tricky:

The brand owns the platform, the product, and often the production tools.The employee owns their likeness, voice, and unique style.

When a piece of content relies on someone’s personal identity, does the brand own it just because it’s posted from the company account? It’s a gray area. And one we need to start talking about—because as employee-generated content becomes a staple in marketing playbooks, clear boundaries and fair compensation models will become crucial.

We are not saying brands using employees is a bad thing. Because this strategy can work beautifully. When employees want to create content and are compensated fairly for their influence, it’s a win-win. But when brands expect viral-worthy videos without additional pay, recognition, or support?

That’s not innovative.

That’s exploitative.

Where Do We Go From Here?

We’re entering a new era of marketing where the line between employee and influencer is disappearing. And with that comes both opportunity and responsibility.

Brands need to ask themselves:

• Are we empowering employees or just extracting from them?

• Are we recognizing influence—or assuming it’s part of the job description?

• Are we building a culture of shared success—or just expecting free content?

Because in this new landscape, authenticity wins—but only when it’s mutual.

At Collasoul Media, we help B2B brands navigate this shift with clarity, creativity, and fairness. Whether it’s amplifying employee voices or partnering with influencers who actually move the needle, we build strategies that respect the talent and drive real results.