It's not uncommon for social media influencers to hawk products that they have no intention of using. There are no contracts to bind them in most cases. Companies usually pay them for a couple of posts on their social media accounts and that's that. It's a bit different for contracted brand ambassadors, though.
Ksenia Sobchak is the face of Samsung in Russia. She's reportedly bound by contract to appear in public with her Samsung smartphone. So you can imagine how Samsung felt when she was seen on TV using an iPhone X.
Samsung wants its money back
Sobchak, a reality TV show host and politician, was seen using an iPhone X during a TV interview. She seems to do her best to try and hide that she's using an iPhone X, using a piece of paper to shield the phone from view. It's not that hard to notice and many people did which caused a frenzy on social media.
The Mirror reports that this isn't the first time that Sobchak has been seen with an iPhone X. This has apparently happened on previous TV appearances and some of the “hottest social events” in Moscow. Samsung will have paid her handsomely to be the face of its brand in Russia and now it wants some of its money back.
It has reportedly sued Sobchak for 108 million rubles or $1.6 million for breach of contract. The company likely paid her more to become its brand ambassador. Samsung Russia is yet to officially comment on the matter.
This happens all too frequently. People roped in to promote products of one brand for a fee actually use the competitor. This isn't the last time this has happened for sure.
