When reviews can make or break a business, can influencers be honest without causing harm?

Ramadan is a month of reflection and community for Muslims, but in Singapore, it’s also a feast for the senses and social media feeds. This year, 103 booths offer food, live performances, traditional Malay dance and silat, and appearances by local and regional celebrities.

Amidst the colourful stalls and festivities hosted across Bugis and Geylang Serai, one banner in the Gemilang Kampong Gelam Ramadan Bazaar at Bugis, has garnered some attention. The banner urges influencers and reviewers to “be human first, influence later.” Drawing on the Hadith (Islamic religious guidance) and teachings of Prophet Muhammad, the banner asks visitors to give negative feedback privately rather than in public, reminding them that public criticism can harm small businesses, while a private word can help businesses grow.

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“Keep our tongue moist with gratitude and our reviews filled with kindness,” the banner reads. “Food should be met with either appreciation or silence. The Prophet never shamed the cook or the provider. If you feel inclined to leave a negative review, we humbly ask for the opportunity to make it right first.”

The message has sparked debate among Singapore’s food influencers. When a single post can reach thousands, should honesty outweigh the potential harm? And is there a way to do both responsibly?

Balancing honesty and empathy

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, food influencers across the board said that reviews should be honest, but have to be delivered constructively. This includes avoiding unnecessarily harsh language.

“I include both the positives and the negatives. Viewers are spending their hard-earned money and deserve fair quality food,” said Rishitha Anantha (@devilwearsbata).

Anantha notes that negative reviews can be an “easy way to get views” but emphasises that the businesses are run by real people whose livelihoods could be affected by her words.

Similarly, Brandon Chai (@brandononc / @diediemustchai) said reviewers need to distinguish between critique and cruelty. While he claims that balancing honesty and empathy can become tricky, Chai believes in providing actionable feedback that food vendors can use to improve.

“My goal is to be constructively honest rather than destructive. Instead of dismissing a dish as bad, I will note that it could go heavier with the seasoning,” he explained, adding that taste is often subjective to the person eating. Chai also navigates his reviews based on whether it is an organic find or a collaboration with a business. More often than not, organic finds that he doesn’t like will not be reviewed whereas businesses collaborators can expect feedback.

“If it was an invited tasting and I was disappointed, I would reach out directly to the business to give my feedback first. I’d then ask them if they would still like me to post about the food given that I would be honest in the post. If they do not want me to, then I will not post about it at all,” he explained.

For Sofia Arissa (@sofiaarissa.a), what she shares depends on whether it benefits both her audience and the business. "I ask myself: 'Is this useful for my audience?' and 'Does this feedback help the business improve?' If an experience is purely subjective or likely to be hurtful without adding value, I’ll often keep it private or share it directly with the business first," she said, noting the difference between giving honest feedback and publicly calling out a business over something minor.

The banner also ignited talk of an incident that happened in 2024 where food influencer and reviewer by the username @Gunbuttock was issued a cease-and-desist letter for a “brutally honest” review of Ramadan bazaar stall Frank on Wheels. In the video, the TikToker said that the stall’s cheezy crab fries with turkey bacon “a waste of money” and “basic”. He later rated the dish a one out of 10.

Following the letter, ‘Gunbuttock’ posted a video on TikTok saying that his goal was to create a platform that empowers individuals and families, particularly those on a budget, to make informed dining decisions.

"In an environment where business owners leverage paid influencer marketing, I strive to provide honest, unfiltered reviews that reflect my genuine perspective," he said. He added that he feels that charging restaurant prices for food that falls "even below fast-food quality" presents an "ethical concern".

"Ultimately, my content aims to empower consumers by allowing them to weigh the value proposition before making a decision," he said.

Does ethical responsibility apply?

Where the influencers largely opined differently is whether or not reviewers and creators have an ethical responsibility to local business. Chai, for example, said that an influencer’s primary duty is to their audience. This is especially since their recommendations impact where followers invest their time and hard-earned money. The goal, he stated, is to be fair, nuanced, honest and then move on: 

Influencers don’t owe a business a good review, and businesses aren’t entitled to a positive narrative.

He added that there is no ethical obligation to support a business through false praise and that influencers should avoid direct bashing or disrupting a business’ reputation “for the sake of views.”

Sofia takes a different perspective, explaining that supporting local businesses doesn't mean only posting perfect reviews. "It can mean celebrating what tehy do well, sharing their stories and offering honest feedback in a fair way," she said. 

On the other hand, TikToker @Pristyq who deems herself to be a "smaller influencer" and wants to be known as ‘Priscilla’, suggests that ethical responsibilities may only apply to influencers with bigger reach. “Micro-influencers don’t necessarily have an ethical responsibility to local businesses. In fact, we might focus more on our audience in order to grow it,” she explained.

“But as influencers become bigger, this responsibility to support local businesses may grow,” added Priscilla.

The influencers also offered guidance for small businesses seeking to work with reviewers, emphasising the importance of being receptive to feedback, viewing critiques as opportunities to improve rather than personal attacks, and maintaining confidence in their products. According to Priscilla: 

Small businesses can bounce back if faced with a negative review. The public favours capacity for improvement.

In tandem, Chai said that effective collaboration happens when a business is confident enough in its products to hear the truth and uses honest feedback to refine products and offerings.

Aside from feedback on taste, Anantha said that businesses have to price food fairly. “They should be open and promise customers a commitment to quality,” she said. “Landlords at bazaars should also be more empathetic and avoid raising rents too high.”

Photo courtesy of Chef Christopher Tan, Instagram.

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