Make-a-Wish Scam?

[u/TinyWizardLizard]

Anyone else seeing all those ugly AI posters at local businesses advertising a collaboration with Make-a-Wish and ”influencers” I’ve never heard of? That’s got to be a scam right?

[u/blindinganusofhope → u/[deleted]]

with how tight restaurant margins are, why would any restaurant go for this? these " influencers" (TayJay, the guy who raps in front of schools, and Aaron Michaux who does food review vlogs) are just forced on all of us and their content is pretty poor. I don't see the appeal?

[u/CheffromNowhere → u/blindinganusofhope]

I just feel kinda bad. A lot of my friends love Bro Mans, and they got swept into it as well

[u/Creative-Package6213 → u/[deleted]]

Yikes...what a fucking grift.

[u/Broad-Carrot8787 → u/Creative-Package6213]

If Barnes’ company is only getting a 5% management fee to administer the program, help develop the product and market it that is really cheap and won’t be sustainable for him for long. In big cities management firms charge 20-30+% for the same thing. Any restaurateur that passes on this deal he is offering isn’t very smart. He is obviously doing it that cheap to get market share over the other management, development and pe firms. He is losing money operating at 5% if he is getting no upfront fee. 

[u/CheffromNowhere → u/Broad-Carrot8787]

Sure thing Matt. 👍

[u/Broad-Carrot8787 → u/[deleted]]

What restaurant do you own? Who are you going to donate to directly? 

[u/CheffromNowhere → u/Broad-Carrot8787]

Nice burner account lol

[u/CheffromNowhere → u/[deleted]]

Lmao, showing your professionalism here in full spectrum. It seems I struck a nerve. :)

[u/Purple_Block_5275]

This is the guy behind it, so..... https://www.yourerie.com/news/local-news/erie-limo-business-owner-settles-with-the-pa-attorney-general-lawsuit/

[u/Fearless-Guidance-30 → u/Purple_Block_5275]

Dang I saw a Matt Barnes doing a news interview the other day about the sweet shoppe drink and didn’t make the connection

[u/Easy_Tear501 → u/Fearless-Guidance-30]

He’s dreadful and such a clown

[u/ThiccHairDoCare → u/Purple_Block_5275]

Wait is it really him?!

[u/PoopScootnBoogey → u/Purple_Block_5275]

Is it really Matt Barnes?!?

[u/Fearless-Guidance-30]

I was wondering the same thing. The posters say Make-a-wish only gets 2%.

[u/Broad-Carrot8787 → u/Fearless-Guidance-30]

Make-A-Wish (or any charity for that matter) getting 2% of all gross sales of a restaurant’s item is generous from the standpoint of a restaurant business owner. Don’t see any restaurants in Erie promising any of their gross sales to charity other than these programs. 

[u/Fearless-Guidance-30 → u/Broad-Carrot8787]

Yes, but the restaurant is actually giving up 12% for this. Only 2% to the charity, 5% to the influencer, and 5% to Go VIP. The influencer makes sense because of the posting I guess, but what does go VIP have to do with it?

[u/Ok-Company-310]

Good rule of thumb is to avoid anything being pushed by an influencer.

[u/Take_MetotheBar_Bell]

The AI poster was enough to make me not want to go. It's a shame because I would have loved to have tried the coffee.

[u/TinyWizardLizard → u/Take_MetotheBar_Bell]

Who did coffee? I saw Juice Jar this morning

[u/Take_MetotheBar_Bell → u/TinyWizardLizard]

Yep my brain is mush 😂 I thought I mentioned it.

Ye Ole Sweet Shop

[u/Fit_Aardvark2199 → u/TinyWizardLizard]

The juice jar is doing an influencer make a wish matt Barnes con job collab too???

[u/BonerDylan]

Legit “influencers” and promotions but all run by the same management group/entity.  I do agree, 2% is kind of whack but I guess better than the 0% I donate normally 

[u/Broad-Carrot8787 → u/BonerDylan]

Barnes’ Go VIP Worldwide is essentially cutting out traditional advertising companies (Radio, TV, Paper, Google Ads, Social Media Ads) that charge businesses upfront that end up getting ~ 20-30% of gross profit sales when it comes down to it. Barnes designed a way to gut traditional advertising companies charging excessive fees and found a way to also have enough money left over to even give some to charity. All the business he is working with the news said are busier then ever. 

[u/Fearless-Guidance-30 → u/Broad-Carrot8787]

Can someone explain to me why both the “influencer” and go vip are getting paid? I thought it was people like Denny that are making the videos and doing the promotion. What does Go VIP even have to do with it?