Hudson Valley Baker Goes Viral After Unique Response to Wannabe Influencers

What are your thoughts on social media influencers? One Hudson Valley business has had enough of these "micro-influencers" and their behavior on social media.

Popular Marlboro, NY Cookie Company Goes Viral

In early 2018 Halfsies Cookie Co. was born after founders Dave and Heather Maffei mastered a recipe for a cookie that was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The cookies were huge in size, so much so that Dave's mom recommended cutting them in half...and as they say, the rest is history.

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Since then cookie fans from all over the US have ordered Halfsies Cookies, which is located in Marlboro, New York. Over the years Halfsies has gained thousands of followers and attention from celebs like Bethenny Frankel and Vivica A. Fox.

However, recently Halfsies has been getting attention from "influencers" looking for freebies. And Maffei has had enough of it.

Hudson Valley Baker Claps Back at Wannabe Influencers

Over the last few weeks, if you've been following Halfsies on social media, Maffei has been sharing some of the messages Halfsies has received from "influencers." These influencers are asking for free products in exchange for free promotion on their Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Many of these messages start with comments like "I love your product!" or "Your cookies are delicious" Meanwhile the influencer doesn't follow Halfsies or has ever ordered from them.

You can understand why that would upset a small business owner, right? Here's an example:

We reached out to Halfsies Cookie Co. founder Dave Maffei who explained to us that they are an "extremely small family business with 1 employee who is also a very close family friend" adding:

When we started getting dozens of these (mostly bachelorette) party requests from people that have never ordered with us or even follow us I was annoyed. I decided to start sharing these interactions with our following so people could understand what we deal with behind the scenes, but also in hopes of shedding light on this trend for other small businesses who maybe would be fooled by it.

Maffei understands that there are influencers out there who can help spread the word about his small business and he does make charitable donations, but getting messages like these makes it difficult to weed out the real influencers from the fake.

In this economy, we are all trying to stay alive. We have to be very intentional with who we send promotional mailings to- whether it be a charitable cause or legitimate influencer.

You can learn more about Halfsies Cookie Co and check out their menu online at Halfsiescookiecompany.com.

Looking For a Sweet Treat in The Hudson Valley?

Now that cookies are on your mind, you're probably craving something sweet, right? Halfsies Cookie Co. is always an option to be delivered to your mailbox or picked up in Marlboro.

Looking to support local businesses while enjoying a classic New York Black and White cookie? Check out these bakeries:

If cookies aren't your thing, why not try one of these amazing donut shops across the Hudson Valley?

Ice Cream fans, we didn't forget about you! There are several local ice cream parlors and shops across the region. Which one is your favorite? Is it on this list?