How Georgia Toffolo’s BrewDog Founder Boyfriend Thinks He Can Turn You Into An Influencer Like Her

Georgia Toffolo’s career as an “influencer” – earning thousands of pounds from a single image or video on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok – is a fantasy for most people.

‘Toff’, 29, is the envy of many who long to leave their mundane jobs behind to live a life of easy glamour.

Now her boyfriend James Watt, the 42-year-old founder of craft beer giant BrewDog, claims he can also turn ordinary people into influencers if they sign up to promote products on his new venture, Social Tip.

But could anyone, even an ordinary person like me, really become the new Toff?

I’ve come to meet the couple to find out.

They are staying in a gorgeous London apartment, so high up it looks like something straight out of Instagram, the City’s skyscrapers looking like miniature models. There’s an ice bath (part of Watt’s morning routine, he says) on the balcony.

Not that I fancy an ice-cold dip in the morning, but maybe if I signed up for Social Tip I too could have my own multi-million dollar penthouse.

I have to admit that Toff has an edge as an influencer. She is stylish, articulate, beautiful and well-connected – all valuable qualities in the hugely competitive sphere of social influence. The enviable apartment serves as the backdrop for many of her posts, which is no bad thing.

Having starred in the hit reality show Made in Chelsea, she was the winner of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2017.

She has written an autobiography and four novels and has 1.8 million followers on Instagram. Her posts are sponsored by fast fashion groups such as Shein and L’Oreal.

In other words, she is part of a small select group of “mega influencers” who have more than a million followers on social media.

Her boyfriend Watt is a self-made tycoon, albeit a controversial one. Is his business savvy combined with his first-hand experience a recipe for success on Social Tip?

Watt stepped down as BrewDog chief executive in May, having co-founded the company and built it into one of the UK’s leading beer brands, largely through a savvy brand strategy. He remains on the board as a non-executive director and adviser.

He positioned BrewDog as a “punk” brand, in contrast to big corporate brewers like Heineken. However, that rebellious image began to wear thin when workers began reporting his harassment.

Still, he emerged with a massive fortune estimated at £260m. And his new venture could, if all goes to plan, be a heady combination of his flair for branding and his status as a super-influencer.

Watt says he had already come up with the idea for Social Tip when the two went on a blind date a year ago, adding that she taught him the hard work it takes to succeed.

As if to back up her point, Toff, who is smiley and cheerful, spends much of my visit hard at work with her colleagues at a talent agency she set up in 2020.

Briefly pausing from his work, he says he thought Social Tip was a great idea at the time he mentioned it and adds that he wants to contribute.

“Because if anyone’s going to have a bird’s-eye view of this type of business, it’s literally me. I have a very unique perspective.”

However, for those uninitiated in the arcane world of influencers, how will Social Tip actually work?

It’s not up and running yet, but the idea is that users download the app to their phone and create posts talking about companies and products. If this influences others to buy, the companies they promote will pay them a commission.

Social Tip has already partnered with Instagram and Twitter, and a Facebook tie-up is in the works. Watt says it has signed deals with around 170 companies, including BrewDog, PureGym and pub chain Slug & Lettuce.

Companies will set requirements on what posts must include – for example, a manufacturer of Wellington boots might insist on photographs of a customer wearing them in a field – the muddier the better.

It’s easy to see the potential appeal of Social Tip for businesses that sign up. They’ll receive a wealth of data about their customers and the type of images and videos that attract potential buyers.

It is more difficult to pinpoint the rewards for potential influencers.

For starters, they likely earn very little. Payments are determined by a formula based on the number of likes, views and comments each post generates.

It is highly unlikely that applicants who sign up for Social Tip will ever be in Toff’s league, as the most they can earn is 10 percent of the price of the products they promote.

Social Tip takes a separate cut, and that’s how it hopes to make money.

So if I post about a great meal that costs £110, the most I can be paid is £11. It’s not clear at the moment how difficult it is to reach the maximum, because the criteria are still vague.

But I was left with the impression that people would only get the biggest payout if their photo or video went viral.

Companies are also likely to impose a limit on the number of times Social Tip influencers can post about them each year (the number recommended by Social Tip is four). That’s also likely to act as a damper on revenue-generating potential.

To be fair, Watt isn’t promising to turn people like you and me into the new Toffs: he’s pitching Social Tip as a platform for grassroots influencers to speak to their own social circles.

He says that when people who really love a company’s products tell their friends about it, it has a bigger impact than mega-influencers like Toff. Authenticity, he says, is key.

But wait a minute: is he saying that Toff, his own girlfriend, is not authentic? It seems that he has come dangerously close to reality.

“When I talk about the decline of (mega) influencers all day long I’m like… I’m sorry honey, I’ll make dinner tonight,” she says ruefully.

Toff isn’t offended. Watt’s criticism, she says, is directed at other big influencers who sell all kinds of products indiscriminately, not at her.

“I pride myself on having good integrity on my public social media accounts. I’ve never worked with brands I don’t use.” Watt doesn’t see his past troubles at BrewDog as having been a hindrance to success with Social Tip.

The entrepreneur, who has been diagnosed with autism and has ADHD, has publicly apologised over allegations of a bullying culture at BrewDog.

He has also faced accusations of inappropriate behavior that made his female colleagues uncomfortable. In response, he said he “sincerely apologized” to everyone he made uncomfortable, but denied any “inappropriate” behavior.

‘A lot of problems were exaggerated. Were we perfect? ​​No. Are there any employers in the UK that are perfect? ​​No. I don’t think so.’

BrewDog is now estimated to be worth £1.6bn. Watt says he is not trying to replicate its success.

Social Tip’s start-up costs have been small by its standards: it put up £1m of its own money and raised more through crowdfunding.

‘There will only be one BrewDog’.

My verdict: The person most likely to make money from Social Tip is probably Watt himself.

As part of a power couple with Toff, he and the companies that sign up are sure to do well.

But the chances of you or I making millions as influencers, whether through Social Tip or any other means, are slim.

My advice to those who want to be Toffs is simple: don’t quit your day job.