As a mom with influence, Caitlin Houston felt the need to act.

Ms. Houston, of Wallingford, Conn., read a post on Instagram this summer by Karen Feldman, the founder of the Striped Sheep, a mommy-and-me clothing company, claiming that one of her designs had been ripped off by Tuckernuck, a high-end women’s clothing retailer.

So Ms. Houston did what comes naturally to her: She posted stories about the Striped Sheep’s predicament on Instagram, and encouraged friends who are mom influencers to do the same. Members of her audience — she gets roughly 34,000 views a month through her website and social media — commented on Tuckernuck’s various online platforms, demanding the company not only apologize but explain itself. Soon Tuckernuck removed the disputed items from its website and apologized via a comment on Ms. Feldman’s Instagram page, offering her a share of profits from the products. The company also called Ms. Feldman directly to apologize.

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The Striped Sheep gained thousands of new followers and sold out of its inventory. “Now I’m making six new colors in the same style, as well as a new style,” Ms. Feldman said. “It was a huge boost for me, the best thing that could have happened. It was tons of free P.R.”