Growing discontent is taking root among a group of promotional workers contracted by Smart Brands, a marketing and activations company reportedly engaged in distributing Temmy’s Cornflakes through various in-store and roadside sampling campaigns.
The individuals, many of them young professionals, part-time workers, and single parents, were enlisted in June 2025 to support the product’s visibility and drive uptake among budget-conscious households.
From early morning set-ups at supermarkets to long hours under makeshift tents along busy streets, these workers formed the front line of a campaign that promised visibility, engagement, and product conversion.
But weeks later, many say they are still waiting to be paid.
In what appears to be a growing pattern of unpaid labour cloaked under corporate silence, the workers claim they were assured of payment within two weeks of completing their assignments, a standard clause in many such temporary contracts but as of late July no money has been disbursed.
Instead, the company is said to have issued vague explanations about internal delays, with one key excuse being that the person responsible for payments is “out of the country.”
The silence and shifting responses from Smart Brands, described by one affected worker as “dismissive and evasive” have only amplified anxiety among those depending on the pay to survive.
With rent deadlines fast approaching and utility bills piling up, many of those involved in the campaign now find themselves trapped in a tough financial situation.
For some, the unpaid wages represent their only source of income, leaving them unable to meet basic living expenses or provide for their families, including children who depend on them entirely.
Below is what one of the affected workers shared in a detailed account, painting a vivid picture of the day-to-day realities, unfulfilled promises, and the quiet desperation now hanging over those still waiting to be paid.
“Hello Cyprian, I have a complaint. Kindly hide my ID and help me to post this. I’ve been working with a company called Smart Brands. We’ve been sampling Temmy’s cornflakes through ongoing product activations. We started working with them in June, and to date, we haven’t received any payment. According to the contract, we were supposed to be paid two weeks after the job, but now they’re saying the person responsible for payments is out of the country. Please help us speak out so that we can get paid — people have bills to settle, some have children to support, and this job is our only source of income. Kindly keep my identity anonymous.”
