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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Instamums 5

999 replies

Supernorthernme · 01/04/2018 00:04

The thread continues....if it hasn't continued elsewhere! @Lateforall it was me who questioned Lobella loves depression wears lippy campaign. I get that the idea is that being a bit glam might be a way of coping. And i have been guilty of putting my face on to carry on in the world. I get that not everyone with pnd is sat at home in pjs unshowered with greasy hair. But I just find the whole thing so false on her account - maybe that is because I know of her in real life.

But I think so many of them have massivley over exaggerated aspects of their lives because it sells. Whether that is FODs clumsy parenting or whatever. But it really doesnt sit well

OP posts:
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LaPampa · 02/04/2018 18:25

The one with the bag & crab shoes @Jamon the photo before was tagged ad - so perhaps in the context of relating to the post before that is her argument for not needing to tag. Would you expect her to tag ad every time she uses that bag regardless of the original agreement? (Genuine q, not needling)

Areyouinthegame · 02/04/2018 18:30

I think it should be tagged every time its shown. Until its out of season. Or sold out.

Sofialemon · 02/04/2018 18:31

@Mumofkids
Imo re that post with the bag, I don't think that is an ad. I get the impression the company/charity sent DLAM the bag and hoped she'd feature it. I doubt a small company like that would have the budget to pay the kind of fees I expect DLAM can charge for actual ads or sponsor deals.

For all you slate a lot of the instsmums you can't deny they are capable of bringing a lot of publicity to otherwise unheard of brands. I followed the link from the bag and they have some lovely things.

Instamums 5
Instamums 5
Areyouinthegame · 02/04/2018 18:35

Yep I really needed to know about hopster tv and knorr. Thanks instamums

miamimice · 02/04/2018 18:39

I agree it should be tagged every time its shown. The nature of IG is that you don't always look at every single post so if it was an ad the first time, it is also an ad the second time and so on. MOD tagged each of her holiday pictures as ads, not just the first so she obviously understands this.

Areyouinthegame · 02/04/2018 18:41

She was paid to post 8 squares.

miamimice · 02/04/2018 18:42

The point is that DLAM didn't give the charity the publicity herself, they had to post their own comment in the comments box and hope people read it. I think it's a bit mean spirited not to mention a charity if they have gone to the trouble of sending you a lovely bag just because they couldn't afford to pay you to write about it as well!

Mumofkids · 02/04/2018 18:42

@SofiaLemon I genuinely asked a question. I'm not slating. I have suggested that those who can afford many of the things they are 'gifted' could actually do some real good if the product is one they love or would buy anyway. Giving away a free one on their page or donating to charity in some way. But I've no doubt promotion by some of these accounts is very beneficial to small businesses.
I just wondered if hidden ads was currently against the law or whether it was still a grey area regarding Instagram.

Sofialemon · 02/04/2018 18:44

I don't see a need to be tagging #ad every time an item is worn or used after the initial post. Also I've found that sometimes there's an entire blog post on an item or holiday where it has been clearly stated it's a freebie or they're being paid. They then often mention in insta stories that's it's paid for but not in the pics. Not sure if this follows ASA guidelines or not.

I really don't think the ASA guidelines are as straightforward as some of you seem to think. It seems #ad only has to be used when the content of the post has been agreed with the company and the instagrammer is actually being paid for the post. I would imagine given this is the case there will be many cases where no #ad, spon, gift is required or it would be very difficult to prove there should have been.

Instamums 5
Instamums 5
Areyouinthegame · 02/04/2018 18:48

From what I understand a gift that is "featured" is considered a ad.

PavlovaPrincess · 02/04/2018 18:49

I think it should be tagged every time its shown. Until its out of season. Or sold out.

I agree.

As for the charity bag, if she was 'sent' it, she should have marked it as gifted or at least said something about the charity.

They're getting around marking stuff as 'ads' because 'it's been sent' and they aren't paid to feature it. The brand will maybe send it and say 'if you like it, can you feature it on your feed' or are even more blatant and will ask for so many posts/stories in exchange for the product. But the bloggers only ever give positive reviews so to me that falls under this (from ASA):

However when the brand has control over the content of the post and rewards the influencer with a payment, free gift, or other perk, the post becomes an ad. If the commercial intent isn't clear from the overall context of the communication, it should be labelled as an ad so as not to break the ASA’s rules and mislead the influencer's audience

Sofialemon · 02/04/2018 18:49

@Areyouinthegame
I think it should be tagged every time its shown. Until its out of season. Or sold out

Re the above, that's ridiculous! So if for example Kat Farmer wore a skirt she's been paid to promote 2 years earlier you'd expect her to check it was still available and then #ad it? I suppose if she remembered the item was part of a promotion and knew it was still available then fair enough. I imagine having to do that for every item they wear and post would be far too time consuming.

PavlovaPrincess · 02/04/2018 18:51

Kat does actually do that if you look at her her posted. She lists all her clothes and where they're from and if they were gifted, she marks them as such along with the season they were on sale.

PavlovaPrincess · 02/04/2018 18:51

*if you look at her posts.

PavlovaPrincess · 02/04/2018 18:53

This is one of Doesmybumlook40's captions

Instamums 5
Sofialemon · 02/04/2018 18:55

@miamimice I (perhaps wrongly) assumed DLAM didn't put any info about the bag as that may then have been perceived as an ad. Or that she doesn't put lots of info for gifted items as it would be more time consuming and possibly not worth her time.

Bloggers must receive huge amounts of gifted items, some stuff that they genuinely like and are happy to wear and therefore promote for free. Some will never get shown and some they're maybe not that fussed about but it's for a good cause so they feature as a favour.

Sofialemon · 02/04/2018 19:00

@Areyouinthegame

I'm pretty certain that just featuring a gift is not considered an ad. There has to be pre agreement on the content of the post with the company and payment received by the blogger. The rules re gifts are quite ambiguous which imo is how bloggers are able to feature stuff without technically breaking any rules.

miamimice · 02/04/2018 19:02

I don't see the problem with it being or perceived as an ad though? If it gives the charity publicity then that is a good thing. It really wouldn't have been hard to do a nice thing for a charity.

Areyouinthegame · 02/04/2018 19:06

Sofia the favour is entirely for themselves. Hmm

Sofialemon · 02/04/2018 19:06

*@PavlovaPrincess
*
However when the brand has control over the content of the post

You seem to be completely missing the most crucial part of what you posted, and has been posted a few times on these threads.

As in bold above when the brand has control over the content of the post that is definitely an ad.

I'd guess at least 50% of the content posted by many of the instamums has not been prior agreed by the brands and they possibly haven't been paid, just received a freebie.

PavlovaPrincess · 02/04/2018 19:10

The manner in which influencer relationships are maintained varies. I’ve found that some brands retain complete control over social media posts. They'll write them, supply images and schedule a time for them to appear. Others take a more hands-off approach: they'll get a general assurance from the influencer that his or her comments about the product will be positive, but leave the content, timings and format completely up to the influencer. In each case, where we've established the brand has paid for and exercised effective control over the influencer endorsement and the commercial intent isn't clear from the overall context of the communication, we tend to stay firm and secure assurances that future ads will no longer be “hidden” behind a purportedly authentic endorsement

This is also from the ASA site @Sofialemon Note the bit about 'hands off approach'. Do you think these brands are 'sending' stuff to bloggers in the hope that the bloggers will give an honest review and tell their audience that the product is 'meh' or even worse, total crap?

Besides which, they don't just look the bloggers up in the phone book and send them stuff on the off chance. The brand and the blogger will have been in conversation for weeks before anything appears in public.

Areyouinthegame · 02/04/2018 19:11

Check out cheryofficial her profile is covered with loreal yet not a ad tag to be seen anywhere. We know she works for the brand. But surely she's breaking the rules?

miamimice · 02/04/2018 19:12

Another blogger said themselves there is no such thing as a gift, they are all business collaborations. Bloggers are hiding behind semantics around concepts such control so as to avoid being transparent with consumers.

PavlovaPrincess · 02/04/2018 19:12

From my previous post:

rewards the influencer with a payment, free gift, or other perk, the post becomes an ad.

They don't have to be paid money for it to be considered an ad.

Sofialemon · 02/04/2018 19:13

@miamimice because if it was perceived as an ad people like many of you on here would be complaining about DLAM or whoever to the ASA, wrongly, as it wasn't an actual ad.

@Areyouinthegame really?! You think DLAM was desperate for that bag? Not being nasty, it's a nice bag but it's not like she's been gifted a Hermes is it. I think she has done that company a much bigger favour than they her.

Obviously not always the case, I'm sure instamums who have been "gifted" cars, furniture, holidays etc are very grateful.

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