The Brief: When to Walk Away from a Partnership

In last week’s issue of Behind the Brand Partnership, I shared a number of exceptions to saying “yes” to an unpaid partnership.

But just as important as knowing when to say yes, you need to know when to say “no,” even if the brand partnership pays you well.

I know, I know… it’s easier said than done. After all, we work so hard for the opportunity to get paid working with brands. However, politely turning down a brand partnership could save you from harming your brand in the long run.

Let me explain. 👇ry trip to Taiwan worth over $6,000+. As tempting as that was, I knew I had to say no. It wasn’t just because it didn’t offer payment for my time and expertise aside from trip expenses. But because it was a part of a group trip, which meant it had less flexibility when it came to curating an itinerary.

This is really important to me because I take great care in curating travel experiences, hidden gems, accommodations, and recommendations to align completely with what my audience values and craves.

And having the flexibility to explore and examine what checks all of my audience’s wishes is a non-negotiable for me.

This was a decision that was right for me at this point of my career. But if you’re brand new to working with brands…

👉 How do you know when to say “yes” to unpaid partnerships?

That’s exactly what I’ll walk you through today.

Key Takeaways ⬇️

• 3 reasons to say “no”
• Red flag scenarios to look out for
• How to politely decline an offer

The Right Time to Turn Down Partnerships

Over the past years, I’ve made over $1M+ in brand partnerships. I’ve also turned down THOUSANDS of partnerships, including this opportunity I received with a teeth whitening company.

But I had to politely decline the offer because:

1️⃣ The product wasn’t a good fit for my audience

2️⃣ The product had a few bad reviews that I didn’t feel confident in

3️⃣ The brand’s bad PR could negatively impact my reputation

These are very important reasons to walk away, . Here’s why:

👉 Protecting your integrity

Saying no to a brand that isn’t a good fit protects your integrity. This is incredibly important in the influencer space since your audience wants someone they can trust.

👉 Strengthens trust in your personal brand

Similarly, if a product/brand receives a good handful of negative reviews, politely saying no to maintain a level of trust will signal to your audience that you’re dependable.

👉 Ensures alignment

This is an important component of brand partnerships that I teach my students. Making sure that the brand aligns with your own means it actually provides value to your audience.

👉 Fair pay

Last but not least, if the opportunity is unpaid and doesn’t fit the qualifications I shared last week, then saying no ensures you won’t be boxed into the “will work for free” category as an influencer. This is particularly important because the industry talks, and once you fall into this category, it can be hard to break out of it.

How to Politely Decline & Leave the Door Open

In order to know when to walk away, you’ll want to do some research on the opportunities you receive. Spend some time on Google and read reviews. Do some light digging to see any past PR the brand received – is it positive or negative?

These negative implications could have a lasting impact on your own brand and your audience’s trust in you. So watch out for these brand red flags:

🚩Potential bad PR

🚩Negative reviews

🚩Alignment in values

🚩Fair compensation

If any of those red flags are present in the opportunity, it’s time to politely walk away. However, you’ll want to professionally turn the opportunity down to leave room for future opportunities should circumstances change.

To do this, you’ll want to…

💛 Show appreciation for the offer

💛 Provide a clear and professional reason for not accepting the offer

💛 Show interest in a future partnership in the future

This is true for all content creators of all sizes, . I hope the insights I shared in this email empowers you to steer your creator career in the right direction.

Chase those dreams,
Catarina