Brands are sponsoring IRL communities. Some experts say that could spell their end

Lit Club NYC, a literary group founded to bring Latina readers together, held a book crawl sponsored by Tinder. The partnership shows how brands are paying to reach people through local, in-person communities, helping organisers cover costs but raising concerns that advertising could change or weaken the connections that make these groups valuable.

The deal was arranged by Offline, a platform matching event hosts with advertisers. Lit Club founder Kelly Chervin receives $20 per attendee and provides promotional posts, including directing followers to find similar events on Tinder. Experts disagree over whether sponsorship can help communities last or ultimately undermine them.