After a sponsored post that upset accountants, British entrepreneur Amelia Sordell is “grateful” for Xero acknowledging she followed agency processes.
The British entrepreneur whose sponsored social media post upset Xero’s accounting community has spoken out, after the company acknowledged she followed the guidelines set by a third-party agency.
On July 28, personal branding strategist Amelia Sordell posted an Instagram Story, sponsored by Xero, suggesting users could save money on accountancy fees by connecting AI agents to their Xero data.
Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 344375
The post rattled accountants who use Xero software in their own practices, and those who had recommended it to their small business clients. Sordell removed the post at Xero’s request.
In the days following, Kate Hayward, Xero’s UK managing director, apologised to accountants and said the post “does not reflect our values … and it should never have run.”
Hayward provided further information in an updated blog post, clarifying Sordell was engaged by an unnamed agency to produce sponsored content for Xero.
Smarter business news. Straight to your inbox.
For startup founders, small businesses and leaders. Build sharper instincts and better strategy by learning from Australia’s smartest business minds. Sign up for free.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
“The messaging didn’t reflect what I and we at Xero believe,” said Hayward, in the October 14 update. “I’m sorry it happened.”
Hayward also clarified the circumstances leading to the post, saying Sordell simply followed the posting process outlined by that agency, and had not acted outside of approved guidelines.
“The breakdown was between the agency and Xero,” said Hayward.
“Amelia has shown professionalism, integrity and courtesy throughout. We are reviewing all of our processes to help avoid this happening in the future.”
Sordell, who had not publicly addressed the matter since deleting the post, took to Instagram overnight to detail her experiences and respond to Xero’s updated statement.
“The script for my ad was submitted for approval, and Xero’s agency reviewed, amended and formally approved it before I filmed anything,” she wrote.
“The final video went through a further four rounds of revisions before being approved by Xero’s agency. Before posting, I was explicitly asked to go live – and I did.”
Sordell said people were welcome to disagree with the post she made, but acknowledged she was negatively affected by some people’s false impression she posted that content without formal approval.
“It’s been difficult to watch my reputation – something I have spent the last 7 years building and advising others on how to build, being torn apart on the internet without being able to publicly defend myself,” she said.
“So, I’m grateful Xero has now taken the time to properly acknowledge what happened, and to confirm what the facts have shown all along: that I acted professionally, in good faith, and entirely in line with what I was asked and approved to do as part of the process.”
Xero had confirmed to her it is reviewing its approval processes and brand guidelines to prevent similar circumstances from happening again, Sordell said.
Xero ultimately handled the matter with “integrity” too, she added.