Burner Accounts, Brutal Honesty, and Radical Transparency: How Brands Are Winning on Reddit

As Reddit becomes increasingly influential in AI search, these brands are proving that authenticity beats traditional marketing.

BY ANNABEL BURBA, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT @ANNIEBURBA

Illustration: Inc.; Images: Getty Images

Reddit is the No. 1 most-cited source for major AI platforms, according to a study the social platform conducted with AI marketing research platform Profound in August 2025. So it’s no surprise that GEO-savvy marketers are now placing more importance on generating paid and organic Reddit content.

There are manifold benefits to having a presence on the platform. The businesses that succeed on Reddit aren’t just investing in it because of its impact on AI search, according to Barrie Segal, who left Reddit’s product marketing team last September to launch the Reddit-focused marketing agency Kind Stranger. “They’re doing it because they understand the value of community marketing and they know how to meet their customers where they are,” she says.

It can be difficult to get started on Reddit as a business, she adds, because the platform is “all about authenticity”—meaning that “it’s not going to reward your typical marketing-speak or promotional materials.”

So what kinds of strategies do work? Inc. spoke with marketers and executives at three well-known brands to find out.

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1. Creating a burner account

Cyntia Leo, head of brand marketing at Urban Outfitters, has been using so-called burner accounts to connect with customers for the past two years. Through these accounts—which have usernames that hint at but don’t confirm their affiliation with the trendy retail brand—her team can engage with Reddit users without making them feel like a brand is trying to take over their community space, according to Leo. The company shares news and behind-the-scenes photos through the accounts. Sometimes, it even gives Redditors sneak peeks of upcoming product releases.

When Urban Outfitters restocked a popular product from its collaboration with water bottle brand Owala, it utilized a burner account to leak the news in a relevant subreddit. “We were like, we have these really amazing people in a community who are loyal, who care about very specific products,” Leo says. “So how do we celebrate them in a fun and exciting way?”

She reports that Urban Outfitters has “seen incredible engagement” as a result of this strategy. “It’s been a really great way to build that brand loyalty and that engagement.”

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