For the past three years, one thing has become increasingly obvious: the Estate of Michael Jackson has developed an obsession with influencers.
The question is… why?
More importantly, does Michael Jackson actually need influencers, or does John Branca?
Let’s go back to where it really started.
Back in 2023, the Estate launched King of Style.
Well… Estate project… sorry… Branca project.
At the time, we pointed out something many fans noticed immediately: this wasn’t made for Michael Jackson fans.
The concept itself wasn’t terrible. Bringing together fashion designers and industry professionals to discuss Michael Jackson’s influence on fashion alongside Michael Bush made perfect sense. Michael’s impact on style is undeniable.
But then came the guest list.
Instead of inviting fans, the people who have celebrated Michael’s fashion for decades, the room was filled with fashion influencers.
Annoying? Absolutely.
Understandable? Slightly.
After all, if the goal was to get the fashion industry talking about Michael Jackson again, inviting fashion personalities wasn’t completely irrational.
Then things changed.
Later that same year came Michael Jackson Official Merch.
To this day, almost nobody knows exactly how this operation is structured.
We do know John Branca’s daughter Jessica was heavily involved (yes, the same Jessica Branca who also appears in Michael).
What we still don’t know is a simple question: where did the profits go? Straight into the Estate? Somewhere else? Despite years passing, there has been remarkably little transparency surrounding the project.
What we do know is that influencers became central to its marketing.
Products were sent out. Exclusive drops were promoted. Videos appeared almost overnight.
Influencers praised collections that, frankly, were often unimaginative and, in some cases, poorly designed.
And that’s where I completely disagree with the Estate’s strategy.
Because if there’s one group of people who have been advertising Michael Jackson for free for nearly twenty years… it’s the fans.
We’re the ones wearing Michael Jackson T-shirts every day. We’re the ones buying the albums, books, vinyls, figures and collectibles. We’re the ones travelling across the world for anniversaries, conventions, tributes and events. We’re the ones introducing new generations to his music. We have promoted Michael Jackson every single day without needing free merchandise or sponsorship deals.
So why weren’t we the ambassadors?
Then came 2024.
The Estate invited Ugandan children to tour John Branca’s home.
Seeing young people discovering Michael Jackson memorabilia was genuinely heartwarming.
But something about the video didn’t sit right. Several of the children referred to the property as “Michael Jackson’s house.”
Nobody corrected them. More importantly… Why were so many Estate items inside John Branca’s personal residence in the first place?
It’s a question fans have every right to ask.
Then came the promotional campaign leading up to Michael.
Suddenly, social media was filled with influencers explaining who John Branca was.
How important he is. How much he has done for Michael’s legacy. Some of these creators weren’t even part of the Michael Jackson community. Others were people many fans already followed.
At first it felt coordinated. Then the premieres happened. Berlin. London. Los Angeles.
The red carpets quickly revealed what many of us had already suspected. A significant number of invitations had gone to influencers. Of course, film distributors use influencers today. That’s nothing unusual. But when many of the very same people who had spent months praising John Branca suddenly appeared walking those carpets with exclusive access, the picture became much clearer. Everything suddenly made sense.
Did influencer marketing help the film? Maybe.
Did it make Michael the worldwide success it became? Personally, I don’t believe so.
Michael Jackson doesn’t need someone with a ring light explaining why he mattered.
The biggest pop star in history remains one of the most fascinating entertainers the world has ever known. People bought tickets because it was Michael Jackson.
Not because someone they follow on TikTok told them to.
What all of this really raised was another question.
Why was there suddenly such a push to improve John Branca’s image?
Within the fan community, Branca has long been a controversial figure. The will. The Cascio tracks. Business decisions. Creative decisions. Lawsuits. Estate management.
Whether you agree or disagree with those criticisms is irrelevant.
They exist.
So seeing influencer after influencer suddenly presenting John Branca in an overwhelmingly positive light naturally raised eyebrows.
We’ve experienced this ourselves.
We have been told, directly, that criticism of John Branca could affect our access to exclusive material and opportunities.
We declined.
Why?
Because our loyalty has never been to John Branca.
It has always been to Michael Jackson.
If we believe something is wrong, we’ll say it.
If we believe fans deserve answers, we’ll ask the questions.
Our integrity isn’t something we’re willing to exchange for premiere tickets, exclusive assets or VIP treatment.
Our voice cannot be bought.
And perhaps fans should ask themselves another question:
If someone’s opinion changes after receiving exclusive access, gifts or privileges… how independent is that opinion really? Should we trust or follow those individuals if their integrity can be bought?
Now it feels like history is repeating itself.
As discussion begins around a potential second Michael film, where John Branca’s role would naturally become far more prominent through Miles Teller’s portrayal, we’re once again seeing influencers invited into Branca’s home.
Some have absolutely no connection whatsoever to Michael Jackson.
One recent example involved a Russian influencer based in Los Angeles posting videos from Branca’s house while holding Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller Letterman jacket.
Again…
Why?
Does Michael Jackson really need random influencers handling pieces of music history?
Or is this becoming something else entirely?
Is this about introducing Michael Jackson to new audiences?
Or is it about introducing John Branca to them?
That also brings us back to another question.
Why are Estate items still being displayed inside John Branca’s private residence?
Now that he is the sole executor of the Estate, is that really where fans expect these pieces of history to be?
Everyone can answer that for themselves.
Mine is simple.
No.
Even if tomorrow I received an all-expenses-paid invitation to tour John Branca’s house, pose with those items and post smiling photos online…
I’d decline.
Because my loyalty isn’t for sale.
It’s to Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson never needed influencers to become the biggest entertainer on Earth.
His fans have carried his legacy every single day since June 25, 2009.
Without contracts.
Without gift boxes.
Without VIP passes.
Without sponsored posts.
So perhaps the biggest question isn’t whether influencers are helping Michael Jackson.
It’s this:
Why is the Estate spending so much time (and money) cultivating influencers instead of the fan community that has carried Michael Jackson’s legacy for nearly two decades?
Because if you ask me…
Michael Jackson doesn’t need influencers.
Whether John Branca does…
I’ll leave that for you to decide.
Sebastian for MJVibe
