Crisis Management & Accountability in Influencer Marketing Partnerships: Pepper x Hello Partner

Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways for brands to connect with audiences, but it comes with risks. In today’s always-on culture, public sentiment can flip in hours and a creator can be cancelled overnight. For brands working with high-profile creators, the stakes are higher than ever.

That is why Pepper and Hello Partner co-hosted “Cancel Culture & Crisis Management – A Framework for Accountability in Brand–Creator Partnerships.” The online event explored how brands can protect themselves, support creators, and respond with confidence when things go wrong.

The session featured Beckii Flint, co-founder of Pepper and creator-turned-agency founder, alongside Carol Driver, PR expert and journalist. Moderated by Mollie Leach, Conference Producer, Creator Unit, the conversation focused on actionable strategies to help brands navigate the intersection of trust and volatility.

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Why This Conversation Matters

When a crisis hits, some brands navigate it with honesty, speed and accountability. Others respond too late or, worse, disappear from the conversation entirely. This event offered brands a practical framework to avoid the latter, covering everything from early intervention to setting guidelines for acceptable risk.

We discussed how to:

• Protect brand reputation and foster long-term audience loyalty
• Use transparency and speed to build trust, even in a crisis
• Apply a framework for accountability, from prevention strategies to early intervention

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Preparing for Risks in Influencer Marketing

Beckii highlighted the importance of planning ahead in order to protect both brands and creators:

• Build a diverse team to review campaigns, including comms, legal and representatives of the target audience
• Map out potential risks and agree tolerance levels before launch
• Set clear escalation protocols so there is no confusion when action is needed

This preparation creates the foundation for strong, safe campaigns.

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Choosing Influencers Responsibly

Influencer marketing works best when there is a genuine brand–creator fit. Beckii advised that brands should:

• Look beyond audience size to assess values and alignment
• Conduct brand safety checks on past content and public perception
• Be open with creators about sensitive topics or previous controversies

She also emphasised that transparency protects creators too. By involving them earlier in the process and sharing full context, brands can avoid reputational blind spots.

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Responding When Things Go Wrong

Drawing on real-world examples, Beckii shared how brands can handle crises effectively:

1. Respond quickly but avoid rushing out an unconsidered statement
2. Listen to affected communities to ensure responses are empathetic
3. Take visible accountability, such as removing or editing problematic content
4. Back up apologies with real action that shows lessons have been learned

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Rebuilding Trust After a Crisis

Recovery is not about one metric. Beckii explained that brands should measure progress through:

• Audience sentiment and engagement over time
• Confidence from creators in working with the brand again
• Long-term loyalty, not short-term sales bumps

Trust is rebuilt through consistency, transparency and action, rather than one-off gestures.

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Key Lessons for Brands

The session offered three clear takeaways for brands working with creators:

1. Preparation is protection. Risks need to be planned for before campaigns launch.
2. Accountability is shared. Brands, agencies and creators must have clear roles.
3. Actions matter most. Consistency builds trust, not statements alone.

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Pepper and Hello Partner: Leading the Conversation

This event, hosted by Hello Partner, featured Pepper’s co-founder Beckii Flint alongside PR expert Carol Driver, with moderation from Mollie Leach. Together, they explored some of the most pressing challenges in influencer marketing today. From accountability to crisis management, the session highlighted that successful brand–creator partnerships are built on preparation, transparency and shared responsibility.

👉 These conversations will continue at CreatorFest, where brands, agencies and creators come together to discuss the future of influencer marketing. Attendees of the live event also received a 10% discount code, BRANDSAFE10, valid for 24 hours.