Some people running massive brands still need Marketing 101 because they keep spending like experts… while reacting like rookies.

For years, this hockey-playing TikToker has been loyal to Bauer. Not because anyone paid her, but because that was her ride-or-die brand.

Then Bauer reached out about a collaboration.

She was pumped. It felt like the payoff for all those years of free promotion. Like the brand she’d been shouting out on her own, finally noticed and wanted to do something official.

But then the next email came.

And instead of building the relationship, it basically scolded her for something unbelievable.

They told her they didn’t appreciate her showing a few pages of Bauer’s magazine in a TikTok video.

The wild part?

The magazine was public. There was nothing private, nothing leaked, nothing remotely shady. She was literally generating hype and sending attention back to them.

So she did what any modern creator would do. She shared the experience online.

Now, a lot more people know who she is... and a lot more people know how Bauer treats someone who has been promoting them for years, for free, with actual enthusiasm.

And of course, other hockey brands noticed immediately.

Because while Bauer was busy trying to “control the message,” other companies were thinking, “Wait… she’s already doing the work and talking to our ideal audience. Let’s support her.”

In no time, she started getting gear from other brands.

It reminded me of that old Sherwin-Williams situation, where an employee went viral making paint content, and the company responded by firing him for it.

Competitors immediately tried to scoop him up because they understood what was right in front of them.

This keeps happening because some executives confuse control with strategy.

Real strategy is knowing when to step back and let your best promoters promote... whether they work for you or not.

My tips for these grandpas who are still learning how all this works:

• Treat loyal creators like partners.
• Reward the people already doing the work. A small “we see you” can turn casual advocacy into long-term loyalty.
• Don’t punish excitement. If someone is building hype, your job is to amplify it, not squeeze it.
• Think in outcomes, not rules. Ask, “Does this help the brand?” before you ask, “Is this technically allowed?”

And yes, the math really is obvious, even for people like me who are terrible at math. One loyal creator with real trust can outperform months of polished campaigns, and you didn’t have to pay a dime or spend a minute for any of it.

Uh, thanks for letting me rant on this because this sh*t just drives me crazy.

Okay, now I'm off to Scottsdale for the Creepy Book Club Retreat. It's my first solo vacation ever... and I'm going to read thrillers. #lifeisgood

Christina