In an era of ‘baddies,’ companies are racing to keep up with the influencer economy

Companies Chase the Baddie Trend in Influencer Marketing

In an era of baddies companies - In an era of baddies, businesses are scrambling to adapt their marketing strategies. The term describes Gen Z's fashionable, confident individuals who have captured consumer attention. Rather than relying on polished corporate campaigns, companies now embrace content featuring everyday people. This shift represents a significant departure from traditional advertising methods that dominated previous decades.

ResMed Leads the Charge

ResMed recently hosted a "CPAP Baddies" gathering in Vancouver that transformed how the company approaches promotion. Instead of featuring internet celebrities, the medical device manufacturer invited regular customers and employees to participate. The event included a podcast corner and social media activations. Within thirty days, this approach generated 4.2 million views and attracted 6,200 new followers. Katrin Pucknat, ResMed's chief marketing officer, noted that consumers have likely never seen their advertisements on linear television. The company continues running numerous experiments to determine what resonates most effectively.

Broader Industry Adoption

Other organizations are following similar patterns. Polymarket created a "Baddies of Polymarket" community on Telegram and X platforms. The prediction market platform stopped posting on X since April after facing scrutiny for deceptive tactics. Meanwhile, Starbucks employees have begun creating their own social media content. Staples found success with Kaeden Rowland, a TikTok user and print specialist who became known as the "Staples Baddie." Rowland handles everything from passport renewals to custom mugs without any formal marketing training. "I'm just opinionated with cheekbones," she explained about her approach.

Keith Bendes from Linqia observed that content featuring normal people consistently outperforms highly polished campaigns. He noted that brands are increasingly spinning up fan accounts that they operate themselves. This strategy requires substantial budgets, though not all participants receive payment. CPAP event attendees, for example, did not receive compensation for their involvement.

Consumer trust patterns reveal interesting dynamics. A 2024 GoDaddy survey of 1,000 consumers found that 40% of Gen Z respondents trusted influencer posts more than business communications. These younger consumers are also more likely to purchase from influencers than from friends. However, influencer marketing may be approaching its peak, and not every product category fits this model. Organic brand ambassadors continue to provide valuable support alongside paid partnerships.

ResMed faces additional challenges beyond marketing. The company confronts competition from FDA-approved GLP1 medications for sleep apnea, which could reduce sales by $270 to $300 million. Despite these headwinds, the baddie strategy offers a way to humanize an unsexy product category. Offline meetups and community pages help build genuine connections with consumers who have outgrown traditional billboards and television spots.