What is Gifting?
Gifting is the practice of sending free products to creators with no guaranteed payment, in exchange for organic content or review posts at the creator's discretion.
Gifting campaigns are common for product launches and awareness plays. The brand sends product; the creator is under no obligation to post. When they do post, it is typically more authentic than paid content because there is no contracted brief to follow.
In many countries including the US and UK, gifted products that result in posts must still be disclosed as gifted or AD. The FTC and ASA treat gifted posts as advertising if there is a material relationship, even without direct payment.
Gifting works best for creators who genuinely love the product niche. Sending irrelevant products wastes budget and rarely generates quality content. Brands should target creators whose existing content already fits the product category.