Plus: Ben & Jerry’s co-founder accuses parent company of muzzling the brand’s voice; Tom Brady’s coconut water aims to go viral with a controversial name.
In 2024, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan described his prediction market platform as a “global truth machine.”
Today, however, both Polymarket and its top rival, Kalshi, are struggling with a very human problem: online influencers spreading misinformation.
In recent days, both companies have cracked down on paid partners pushing conspiracy theories about why former reality TV star Spencer Pratt lost in the Los Angeles mayoral election. They’ve asked influencers to remove paid partnership tags on social media posts raising doubts about the results.
A post questioning the LA election from right-wing influencer Benny Johnson, for example, contained a paid partnership tag with Polymarket from June 4 until June 8, according to Wired. It no longer does.
The public has so little faith in California’s elections that they just assume Democrats are going to dramatically rig it with questionable ballot counting DAYS after Election Day https://t.co/yXOaY1HEUP
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 4, 2026
“Our existing marketing guidelines explicitly prohibit affiliates from providing misleading or false information, and we will continue to monitor and ensure compliance with our paid contributors,” Olivia Chalos, Polymarket’s deputy chief legal officer, told Wired in a statement.
NPR summed up the situation: “The Los Angeles mayoral race is the clearest example yet of how prediction market posts about changing betting odds for candidates are being weaponized on X to sow doubt about the integrity of elections.”
Why it matters: People aren’t likely to place bets on Polymarket or Kalshi if the outcome is unclear or — even worse — they’re being told it’s rigged. It’s also a broader issue for democracy as we head into a highly contentious mid-term election in November.
It’s an issue every PR pro knows well: Reputation is paramount. Without it, consumers aren’t likely to come back.
By partnering with divisive online personalities to promote their brands, Polymarket and Kalshi should know what they’re stepping into. Sure, lots of consumers will hear about the prediction markets because of the relationships. At the same time, how some content creators perceive the world may not be positive for the companies’ business models.
On a related note, Kalshi recently announced new features to reduce insider trading. They include risk scoring, employment verification and enhanced whistleblower tools.
“By implementing these new integrity measures, we continue to lead the industry on the issue of market integrity amongst federally regulated prediction markets,” Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement and legal counsel, said in the statement.
Maintaining trust is critical for companies to function. While both new companies are pushing the boundaries of what’s come before, even Polymarket and Kalshi can’t escape this basic principle of public relations.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- In an interview with Bloomberg, Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, said the brand’s current parent organization is harming its future. Cohen accused The Magnum Ice Cream Company of muzzling Ben & Jerry’s ability to speak out on social and political issues. “Trumpism is essentially the biggest attack on the values of Ben & Jerry’s since the company was founded and Magnum has said you cannot criticize Trump,” Cohen said during an interview with Bloomberg’s Zero podcast. “Put simply, the very values-led business structure that’s made Ben & Jerry’s into the brand it is today is precisely the thing that Magnum is in the process of destroying.” It’s quite the statement, given there’s no mention of how the ice cream tastes or how much a pint costs. In essence, Cohen is reinforcing the idea that, in some cases, a product is intertwined with its marketing strategy — as Ben & Jerry’s long has been with left-wing politics. For him, there is no separation, but that kind of values-driven ethos is difficult to maintain when Ben & Jerry’s is one of many brands within a company. Can Ben & Jerry’s maintain its unique identity as a free-spirited brand if it loses its political soul? Will it become just another ice cream?
- Tom Brady introduced a new line of coconut water. Just don’t ask him to tell you the brand’s name (it’s called Good Nut). Playing around with the provocative title is a big part of promoting the product. In one ad, for example, the seven-time Super Bowl champion refuses to say it. While the sexual innuendo is likely to generate a lot of awareness for the beverage line, it’s hard to say how long the attention will last. Given how fast things come and go in the digital age, the gambit may not be worth it in the long run. Also, if Brady doesn’t want to say it in commercials, customers may feel awkward asking for one in a store. As one commenter put it on an Instagram post covering the product launch: “A brand named for shock value will never have any staying power.”
- During a fireside chat at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit in London, Burberry CEO Joshua Schulman warned of the danger that comes from chasing trends — something the luxury brand had spent years doing with mixed results. Schulman explained that seeing a photograph of the rapper and producer A$AP Rocky wearing Burberry’s signature scarf — an item he recently purchased on his own accord; it wasn’t a paid partnership — clarified the power that comes from brands remaining loyal to their roots. “We have the most opportunity where we have the most authenticity,” said Schulman. In other words, sometimes the best way to move forward requires keeping an eye on the past. It’s unwise to abandon what made the brand a success in the first place. Cracker Barrel’s return to the basics and subsequent rebound is another example of this principle in action.
Paul Hiebert is a reporter for PR Daily and Ragan Communications. Follow him on LinkedIn.
The post The Scoop: Prediction markets crack down on partnerships with influencers spreading election conspiracy theories appeared first on PR Daily.
