Apparently, the influencer may have finally met its greatest opponent, and surprisingly, it isn’t the algorithm. It’s etiquette. Following weeks of discourse surrounding creators, ring lights, flash photography and questionable spectator behavior at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon has made it clear that it will not introduce a dedicated accreditation category for influencers and content creators at the 2027 Championships. The All England Club also plans to enforce existing rules allowing potentially disruptive equipment, including ring lights, to be confiscated. It’s an understandable reaction to what unfolded in New York, but it also raises a bigger question: Is the problem really influencers, or have we simply started using that word to describe anyone behaving badly with a phone in their hand?
@ashleynicoletv Wimbledon will not credential influencers following disruptions at the U.S. Open #wimbledon #usopen #tennistok ♬ original sound – ASHLEY NICOLE
The conversation feels particularly familiar after a handmade “No Influencers” sign inside Nantucket’s Four Winds Craft Guild went viral earlier this summer. Influencer and entrepreneur Paige Paul, formerly Paige Lorenze, criticized the message and questioned the implications of dismissing a profession heavily populated by women. But store owner John Sylvia’s explanation revealed that his frustration was less about someone’s occupation and more about behavior. People were entering the shop to film and photograph it, sometimes treating the business more like a backdrop than a place of commerce. The sign may have said “No Influencers,” but the complaint was essentially: Please respect the space you’re entering.
@taliacadet I’m not surprised by the “No Influencers” sign found at a Nantucket artisans crafts store. Nor am I offended by the sign or sentiment as someone who enthusiastically considers herself an influencer. Negative sentiment around influencers, influencer culture and influencer marketing culture continues to rise. Some influencer’s entitlement, disrespect and short-sightedness has turned off brands and small businesses, and growing inauthenticity, unoriginality and losses of integrity and credibility are rubbing viewers and consumers the wrong way. I do take influencer hate with a grain of salt, as nearly half of all adults (41%) would be content creators if given the opportunity (Morning Consult, 2023). The monetization, visibility and opportunities associated with influencing and creating content continues to be very attractive. However, influencers and online content creators, a mostly voluntary line of work, aren’t a part of an emerging protected class being discriminated against. I agree with creative director and “Cultural Fair Godmother” Ioana Iliesiu, credibility will be the differentiator between the old guard and new guard of influencing and content creation. 📹 Ioana’s video on 5 emerging content creator typologies and archetypes: @Ioana Iliesiu #influencer #contentcreation #influencermarketing #nantucket #yapping ♬ original sound – Talia | DC, Books & Black Biz
That’s not terribly different from what happened at the U.S. Open. Around 100 creators received credentials this year as the tournament continued using social media to reach new audiences. At the same time, disruptive filming, bright lights and noise during matches became part of the conversation surrounding the tournament, with Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula among the players discussing the importance of tennis etiquette. There is an important wrinkle, however: the USTA said the spectators behind the viral disruption during Osaka’s first-round match were not part of its credentialed creator program. In other words, the biggest example being used to illustrate an “influencer problem” wasn’t actually caused by accredited influencers.
@nypost While influencers have become as much a part of the US Open experience as the $23 Honey Deuce, their presence has created quite a stir. The tournament even shared a public notice regarding photography amid debates on influencers and etiquette at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Still, there is clearly a behavioral problem that needs to be contained, and some of that responsibility belongs to the brands providing access. If a company invites creators who have never attended a tennis match, why not include a short etiquette brief with the invitation? Stay quiet during points, remain seated while play is happening, don’t use flash photography or ring lights and understand when it is appropriate to move around the stadium. Brands have no problem sending detailed instructions about hashtags, deliverables, posting times and how a product should appear on camera, so adding a paragraph explaining how to respectfully navigate the environment shouldn’t be difficult. New audiences cannot be expected to instinctively understand every tradition of a sport they are being invited to discover, although creators also have a responsibility to research the spaces they enter.
@thesportingnews Coco Gauff provided a thoughtful explanation when asked her opinion on the influencers attending the US Open this year. (via US Open) #cocogauff #tennis #usopen ♬ original sound – The Sporting News
This is where the rush to ban or exclude influencers starts to feel shortsighted. Tennis wants younger audiences. Fashion brands want engagement. Restaurants want TikTok virality and hotels want beautiful Reels that make thousands of people want to book a trip. Institutions cannot court the cultural influence creators provide and then distance themselves from the profession when the content creation they encouraged becomes inconvenient.
The creator economy has matured enough that professional standards should mature alongside it. The solution isn’t necessarily “No Influencers.” It’s clearer rules, better briefings and accountability when those rules are ignored. Whether you’re courtside at the U.S. Open or walking into a small Nantucket shop, creating content shouldn’t require everyone around you to become an unwilling participant in it. Creators deserve access to these spaces, but access has always come with expectations. Maybe the conversation we need to have isn’t about keeping influencers out, but teaching everyone how to act once they’re invited in.
@cbsnews Influencers have gone viral at the U.S. Open in recent days — and not in a good way. In two separate incidents, influencers have distracted fellow spectators or disrupted matches. More and more people are attending the Open each year, and that means more influencers, which are sparking debate. #USOpen #tennis #newyork ♬ original sound – cbsnews