Influencers Get Charged Double At This L.A. Ice Cream Truck

You don't need to work in "influencer marketing" to know that these days, followers equal currency. From extravagant trips around the world to a pair of shoes, social media stars enjoy plenty of perks in exchange for a post or two - and hey, many businesses and services are happy to comply. 

But not this one. And honestly, for good reason. LA-based business owner Joe Nicchi, the founder of CVT Soft Serve (which has always taken an anti-gimmick stance with its "non-artisanal, dairy-based, large-batch, gluten-filled deliciousness"), made headlines this week after declaring a new rule: Influencers will be charged double at his trucks.

But that's not to say he's judging you based on looks, or whether you have a camera in hand, or even asking for follower counts before ringing up customers. In fact, he doesn't want to hear about follower counts at all. 

"We couldn’t care less about how many followers you have, and we’re super embarrassed for you when you tell us," Nicchi captioned the first post about the policy. He explained in another post, "We will never give you a free ice cream in exchange for a post on your social media page. It’s literally a $4 item...well now it’s $8 for you."

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We’ve decided to make this thing official with signage. We truly don’t care if you’re an Influencer, or how many followers you have. We will never give you a free ice cream in exchange for a post on your social media page. It’s literally a $4 item...well now it’s $8 for you. #InfluencersAreGross
A post shared by CVT Soft Serve (@cvtsoftserve) on Jun 30, 2019 at 11:08am PDT

So, apparently, the only "influencers" affected by this rule are those that try to avoid paying the measly four bucks for the #foodstagram in the first place. TBH, they absolutely deserve it.

[Photo via @cvtsoftserve]