BrandTok founder issues statement, SMEs want 'taking of accountability' not just 'talking'

Clients of marketing agency BrandTok Media have raised concerns over undelivered content, payment losses and refusal of refunds, taking the matters online in a series of videos on Instagram and TikTok. 

In a statement posted on Instagram over the weekend, founder of BrandTok Noor Hidayat Samion, otherwise known as Sam Heedy, apologised to affected clients, freelancers and partners, saying the company “failed operationally” due to delays, workflow disruptions and internal instability. He said the issues stemmed from scaling too quickly without sufficient systems in place, alongside financial pressure and internal conflicts.

He also denied allegations of intentional misconduct, stating that BrandTok’s collapse was the result of “poor systems, aggressive scaling and operational disruption”, rather than an attempt to "take client funds and disappear".

"Regardless of what happened internally, I am not hiding behind excuses. Clients trusted BrandTok with their businesses, money, expectations, and time, and I fully accept responsibility for where I failed operationally as the founder," said Heedy in his statement on Instagram.

"I am also intentionally not aggressively taking on new projects because my focus now is to stabilise operations properly, rebuild the company responsibly, and be far more careful moving forward with the relationships and commitments I take on," he added. 

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MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Sam Heedy for a statement. 

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Kerstin Schulze, founder of cat hotel Shangri-Paw and an affected client of BrandTok  said she did not see “much accountability yet”, adding that similar breakdowns appeared to have occurred as early as 2024.

“No one is out to cause more damage, but everyone just wants to have honest answers,” she said. Schulze had previously engaged BrandTok on a one-month trial package worth SG$3,000 for 15 videos, with delivery slowing significantly after five to six videos. Schulze said that Heedy attributed the delays to health and personal issues.

She added that a refund request was denied based on contractual terms and has since pursued the matter through small claims.

When asked whether she had received any recent communication from BrandTok, she said there had been none. Despite this, Schulze is now working with another agency to create a set of videos, stating that "You cannot condemn a whole industry because of one bad experience."

Another client, Joanne Sia, founder of tennis coaching app HiCoach, said she paid SG$25,000 upfront for 60 videos but received only seven. In response to Heedy’s statement, she questioned the level of transparency behind the collapse.

“Talking about accountability is not the same as actually taking accountability,” Sia told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. “What affected parties really want to see is concrete action, consistent follow-through, and actual repayments.”

She also raised concerns about the lack of clarity around the escalation of issues, noting that some clients were questioning how the situation deteriorated while other public-facing activities appeared to continue.

Responding to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, she added that brands should conduct deeper due diligence when engaging smaller agencies or creator-led businesses, including speaking to past clients and structuring milestone-based payments rather than large upfront commitments.

She added that she is now "scared" to work with boutique agencies or content creators, highlighting that this experience has affirmed how important transparency, communication and accountability are in maintaining trust between businesses and clients. 

The statements come after several clients came forward to share their experiences with Heedy within the past week, starting with Noor Shazniah Rahmat, founder of shawls brand Kaise Store, who said she lost about SG$8,800. In a video posted on Instagram on 12 May, Shazniah claimed she had commissioned 20 videos with three complimentary deliverables to be completed by January 2025. She said only three videos were delivered by the end of that month, followed by four more in February, with no full completion.

A request for a prorated refund was reportedly rejected on the basis that “legal investigations” were ongoing, she added.

Another client, Daniel Yeow, founder of The Social Space Singapore, said he paid SG$5,250 as a 50 percent deposit for 60 videos but claimed the deliverables were not usable. He later pursued the matter through court and recovered the amount.

“I think this pattern of unethical practices need to stop. A lot of us are businesses that are already suffering in a very tough business landscape, we are the ones that can least afford for this to happen," he said in an Instagram video. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Kaise Store and Yeow for comment. 

At the time of writing, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE understands that multiple clients and freelancers are still seeking resolution on outstanding payments and deliverables. 

Photo courtesy of Joanne Sia, TikTok and Kerstin Schulze, Instagram.

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