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Rather than sitting at home watching your favorite influencer unbox gifts from their all-expenses-paid brand trip, now the rest of us have a chance to feel like an influencer for a day. Last week, Brandon Edelman, the same TikTok creator who recently went viral for sharing his $768,000-a-year salary, launched his very own Bran Trip, his version of the ubiquitous influencer brand trip. Attendees were chosen via video application using the hashtag #thebrantrip. Three of Edelmans lucky followers and their plus-ones were then transported to their own suites at the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia for the weekend. The trip included tickets to a Phillies game, facials, and an IV lounge for recovery from the night before. @bran__flakezz I AM SO EXCITED #thebrantrip @Lindsay Anderson @carter @Tierra Money @Jocelyn Vargas @Drink Poppi @Beis Travel @GarnierUSA @Ferkos Fine Jewelry @Shark Beauty @Coastal Caviar @EVRY JEWELS @@KIND Snacks @TOPICALS original sound – bran_flakezz Of course, it wouldnt be an influencer-hosted trip without gifting from 30 different brands. This included gifted outfits from Abercrombie & Fitch, initial necklaces from Ferkos (a Westchester-based fine jewelry company), a $349 CryoGlow LED mask from Shark, and Béis luggage to get their goodies back home, Edelman told Glossy. @bran__flakezz #thebrantrip DAY ONE SETUP!! @UrInternetBF @Lindsay Anderson @Eli Rallo @corinna carter @Tierra Money @tykiadee @Jocelyn Vargas @Alexandria @Olivia Palacio #philly #philadelphia original sound – Penny B Hollywood While influencer fan meetups are nothing new, these events have evolved from the thousands-strong gatherings of the 2010s, where excited fans queued for hours for a quick hug and a selfie with their favorite influencer. Now, influencers are inviting followers in and building community in intimate settings that align with their personal brands. Just like some influencers have been taking their followers out for dinner, I want to take you to a workout class, New York-based influencer Danielle Pheloung posted in April. The next month, Pheloung hosted 25 girls at the heated workout studio Fuze House in Tribeca. The event was on-brand for Pheloung, with early morning workouts a staple in her videos. After the free class, each attendee left with a bag full of items gifted by some of Pheloungs favorite brands including Smart Sweets, Lancôme, and Ouai. @daniellephe Such a special day! Cant wait to do more of these evergreen – favsoundds These fan meetups are part of a larger shift in the creator economy and beyond, from online to offline. For years, creators chased virality online, but these days, influence is about access, not scale, Casey Lewis, writer of After School, a newsletter about youth consumer trends, wrote in a recent Substack post. Follower count matters less than who actually shows up. Often dubbed the loneliest generation, Gen Z has figured out that the secret to making friends is organizing their own third spaces and meetups. According to a new study from Eventbrite, 95% of Gen Z and Millennials are interested in turning online interests into real-world interactions. Brands are noticing this shift, and platforms are stepping in to help facilitate meaningful community marketing opportunities. Last month, the youth research firm dcdx launched Offline, a platform connecting brands with real-life communities to co-host and sponsor events ranging from micro-community activations for dozens to meetups of hundreds. As Offline founder Andrew Roth told Forbes: Just as the Influencer rose to fame, so will the Host.
Category:
E-Commerce
As the Senate debates President Donald Trump’s giant tax bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes trillions of dollars in tax breaks, some smaller business owners are worried they might miss out on a popular deduction for state and local taxes (the SALT deduction), which is commonly referred to by its acronym. The debate over SALT was one of the sticking points that delayed passage of the bill in the House. The current version of the House Republican-sponsored tax bill would raise the federal deduction limit for state and local taxes (SALT) from $10,000 to $40,000, which would phase out when income hits $500,000. The bill would also increase the qualified business income (QBI) deduction, set to expire in 2025, from 20% to 23% starting in 2026, and make it permanent. The QBI deduction applies to so-called pass-through businesses, such as S corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietors like freelancers and contract workers. However, it would end a much used state-level SALT cap work-around for some of those pass-through business owners, according to CNBC. The SALT deduction was enacted as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Lawmakers in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey, and California have long wanted to raise the cap, claiming that their states are paying more in federal taxes than they are getting back, leaving residents with a much larger bill. Before Trumps 2017 tax bill imposed a $10,000 ceiling, those states’ residents could write off their state and local taxes. However, the Senate could still modify the proposal as it debates the bill. There are concerns that allowing business owners to deduct up to $40,000 from their federal taxes means the government would collect less taxes, adding further to the nation’s deficit. On Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the megabill would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit, and its tax cuts would decrease revenue by more than $3.6 trillion over the next decade or so, per The Hill. Senate majority leader John Thune of South Dakota, who told Politico he hopes to pass the megabill by the Republicans’ July 4 deadline, said the SALT cap might have to come down to raise revenue to cover the expenses of the president’s “big” (or as some say, “expensive”) tax bill. The House had initially raised the cap to $30,000 in the previous plan.
Category:
E-Commerce
Amazon plans to invest $10 billion toward building a campus in North Carolina to expand its cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure, bringing a massive shot in the arm to a region where many textile and apparel jobs dried up a generation ago. Amazon said Wednesday that its investment in rural Richmond County should create at least 500 jobs and support thousands more through construction and data center supply chain providers, according to statements from the company and Gov. Josh Steins office. Stein called the investment one of the largest in state history. Data centers are already familiar to North Carolinas landscape, including those operated by Apple. This project could transform Richmond County, which is on the South Carolina border and has a population of about 42,000. The Richmond County site is expected to employ engineers, network and security specialists and other technical roles, the company said. Amazon said it would provide support for universities, community colleges and other workforce training programs to help people enter data center and broadband expansion fields. This investment will position North Carolina as a hub for cutting-edge technology, create hundreds of high-skilled jobs, and drive significant economic growth, Amazon chief global affairs and legal officer David Zapolsky said. We look forward to partnering with state and local leaders, local suppliers, and educational institutions to nurture the next generation of talent. Richmond County commissioners approved an incentives package for Amazon on Tuesday. The company could receive annual cash grants for 20 years equal to portions of the real estate property tax and the property tax for vehicles and equipment at each data center contingent on job creation and monetary investment thresholds, The Richmond Observer reported. This project will truly transform our community in ways that we cannot imagine, Richmond County Manager Bryan Land said at Tuesdays commissioners meeting. With the announcement comes large-scale upgrades to our water system, Rockinghams wastewater system and our fiber optic infrastructure throughout our county all of which will come at a cost to our Richmond County taxpayers of zero. Steins office, which called the project an innovation campus, said the data centers will contain servers, storage drives, networking equipment and other technology. Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work and innovate, and I am pleased that North Carolina will stay at the forefront of all thats ahead as we continue to attract top technology companies like Amazon, Stein said. The governor attended a public announcement about the investment on Wednesday at an investment in Hamlet. The company said it has invested $12 billon in North Carolina since 2010 and supports 24,000 full- and part-time jobs.
Category:
E-Commerce
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