Influencer Marketing: Message vs Messenger

If you're subscribed and read last week’s MAXtape, you know that Wednesday night MAX.Live participated in the Digital Fight Club Influencer Marketing: Message vs Messenger debate. And let me tell you, it was a freaking riot—no holds barred, nothing off-limits, and the audience was loving every verbal body slam.

But honestly tho, I was low-key stressed before the fight, because here’s the deal: the audience is encouraged to heckle, cheer, and call out nonsense on the spot. Me? I’m not exactly the sugar-coating type, and I hate pretending to like something I think is trash. So when our CEO, Nathan “The Ragin’ Cajun” Hanks stepped into the ring, I was half-thinking, “What if I think he’s wrong?” “What if he’s right but the other CEO floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee?” or worse, “What if he has no rizz?” Am I actually supposed to heckle my own boss?

Turns out I had zero reason to sweat. Nate came in swinging and delivered a total smackdown. The knockout moment, for me, was when he dropped Ric Flair’s iconic catchphrase: “To be the man, you gotta beat the man. Woooooo!” And for context, that line wasn’t just empty hype—it was a three-punch TKO. Punch 1: It was a timely nod to the CMO judge from AT&T, Kellyn Smith Kenny, who referenced old school wrestlers in her opening speech at the start of the whole event. Punch 2: It was a crowd-pleasing pop-culture reference highlighting the power of influencers in our culture. And then the KO punch: it was a brilliant piece of trash talk that said to his opponent, “I’m the top dog, come at me, bro.” The crowd went ballistic, and so did the judges. It was verbal jujitsu at its finest.

Influencer Marketing: Message vs Messenger

But enough about the show. Let’s talk about the big debate: what’s more important—message or messenger?

Nate’s opponent argued it’s the message that counts, pointing to data that “micro-influencers” outperform big-name celebs. They cost less, convert more, and deliver better ROI—even if they’re not household names. The intended takeaway? Big-name celebrity endorsements are tanking, micro-influencers are rising…so clearly, it’s the message that’s delivering results. Right?

Not so fast. That argument assumes “influence” is all about who’s the most famous. Newsflash: popularity doesn’t always mean credibility. People are done swallowing obviously paid-for endorsements from celebrities who couldn’t care less. Enter the micro-influencer. Their superpower? Authenticity and trust. Smaller audience, sure, but that audience actually listens because they believe the influencer is being real. The better fight isn’t about message vs. messenger; it’s about finding a messenger who can deliver a message that doesn’t reek of bullshit.

If it feels like your messenger is just there for the paycheck, your message is DOA. It’s not about choosing sides, it’s about making sure you’ve got the right person championing the right message for the right crowd. Sometimes that means a big star who authentically connects; sometimes it’s a handful of scrappy micro-influencers who know their followers by name.

The Bottom Line

In the end, it’s simple: know your audience, pick an influencer who genuinely resonates with them, and craft a message that doesn’t set off everyone’s BS detector. If you’re too lazy (or cheap) to do that groundwork, you’ll keep rolling the dice with hit-or-miss campaigns. But if you do it right, you’ll get a fan base nodding along and hitting “Buy Now” because they trust the person talking and the story they’re telling.

And that’s the knockout punch you’re looking for.