Influencer ethics on Instagram

[MadameGrizzly]

Continuing the discussion on whether influencing on Instagram is an ethical business model, particularly around the disclosure of advertising and the over exposure of children.

AIBU to think it isn't a sustainable career unless the influencer is scrupulously ethical?

Great charity Finks

smartworks.org.uk/who-we-are/

A new page - What Clemmie Donated

Oh God. No! Just do it without an angle. I do not want to see photos of "poor people" on Instagram being forced to wear those horrible M&S shoes to an interview with 5 million hashtags underneath

They flog their clothes occasionally. They set up special pages to do it.

Yes MOD's is What Clemmie Wore.

It's a special sort of appalling to sell items that were #gifted to you, but most of them do it.

As opposed to ‘what Clemmie gave to people who really need decent clothes for an interview because they are genuinely pregnant and screwed and she got it all for free because of her being beautiful and privileged’
Ok not so catchy!

Can someone explain why MOD needs to peddle the fact that she donates her used clothes? Why can't she just quietly donate them at any local charity shop?

I'm sure she does Confusssed. It was a joke.

She doesn't Confussed. She sells them to fan girls.

Yeah calm down a little bit with the MOD bashing, guys.

Haven't RTFT but it caught my eye; I am an instagram influencer, nothing huge but have a fairly decent following. I do agree that there is a lot of shadyness sometimes but over the last year or two I have been noticing more transparency due to the new rules. I myself always make sure I let my followers know when something is sponsored - it wouldn't sit well with me at all especially when it seems so obvious. Even though I am a mom, I have stayed away from becoming a 'mom blogger', and have stuck to fashion & lifestyle. But it seems that most of my fellow bloggers turn into one as soon as they have kids.

I have been on instagram for over 5 years and it has literally become unrecognisable from when I started back then. Everything is about showing off and promoting stuff, and half the influencers are fake and have bought followers and likes. It's quite disheartening for the real ones who do it all in good faith because its their passion.

Oh right sorry. Too tired to be reading properly.

Pinkstar I think genuine accounts will have more longevity. I think it's obvious when followers have been bought/ads are shady/dcs are being exploited. Don't be disheartened.

These threads started late summer 2017? There was almost no disclosure at that point. Certainly none of the summer 2017 holidays were properly disclosed.

I'm not even sure what 'sponsored' means. Either an influencer is paid to promote a product and it needs to be marked #AD or a link is an affiliate and it needs to be disclosed as such. Everything else where the brand doesn't have editorial control doesn't need to be disclosed, no matter how disingenuous that might be.

MOD wasn't at the breakfast on Friday. It was a bunch of thin, white, well off women, none of whom looked like they needed a #gifted bag. It was that event that made me think how the influencer resources could be put to much better use.

What was that event Grizzly? I didn't see it.

I think 'sponsored' is where a brand has given the influencer a product in return for a feature, but the brand has no control over what's posted (according to my understanding. I could be wrong). It's all a bit shady and as far as I'm aware, there are no penalties for not disclosing that a post is sponsored.

I think it differs from gift in that if an item is gifted, the influencer has no obligation to feature it. A gift is just sent to them in the hope it makes it onto their page.

(I could be entirely wrong and this is what the ASA could do with clarifying. IMO, there's a lot of shady advertising falling under the umbrella of 'gifting' and 'sponsorship' even now).

The Wardrobe Icons and Aurora collaboration, GameTiles. Beautiful breakfast and each guest received a monogrammed leather handbag.

I actually have no problem with influencers attending lovely breakfasts - I like a well catered event as much as the next person. I also love anything monogrammed, along with nice frocks, shoes and handbags, though working in my sector I have to buy my own!

The difference is I acknowledge my privilege and try very hard to put it to good use. Influencers have enormous privilege but lead utterly vacuous lives.

When they do try to attempt to do something positive it seems to involve nothing more than a hashtag or maybe a t-shirt. It's the equivalent of the 'thoughts and prayers' memes on Facebook. Hashtags, t-shirts, thoughts, prayers - and even a Manchester love in - make very little tangible difference.

I can also see that an inane influencer supporting a serious cause may be detrimental to the cause.

MadameGrizzly had a look, yuk. But nothing new for fashion. ( I couldn't see any reference to it being charitable). Charity events have always been hosted by/for thin rich white women. No different that it's now on Insta.

I was at the pregnant then screwed thing today. My ticket was a tenner. The events in the morning were really useful - how to request flexible working, tips on batch cooking to go back to work and doing dry runs before you go back, settling in at nursery etc, confidence and a brilliant seminar on promoting yourself for promotion and on securing a payrise.
The afternoon was far more instamummy. One person asked a question about what next for social media and the instamum completely misunderstood the question (rather embarrassingly) and started going off on how to get followers. There was also an awkward session on how to get your brand recognised by instamums which was neither relevant or interesting. The brands themselves (one of which was scamp and wotsit which isn't my bag at all design wise so I wouldn't buy it but I like the message behind it and yes they donate to charity) were interesting but the focus of the questions had nothing to do with returning to work, flexible working, confidence in yourself or employment. There was a definite feeling in the afternoon that the day lost its way a bit in terms of identity. Became a symbol of hype.
The mental health seminar was actually very good (not personally something I'm interested in) but funny in parts. More about talking about the issues personally than tips.
The worst sessions were on how to be an instamum and how to get instamums to like you. I wanted to poke my own eyes out.

Ooh interesting JustBecca - but 'how to batch cook' - eyes would have already been poked out at that stage for me...

Dare I ask you - was MN mentioned? I wondered if NB was going to be off on one about bullying?

It absolutely wasn't for charity, GameTiles. It was just a promotional breakfast for a fashion brand.

Thin, white, well off women can make a difference by raising funds for charities - it's just that influencers have the opportunity to but don't! I always think the Duchess of Cambridge looks out of place at the charities she visits, but there's no doubt she raises the profile of the charity.

Ah sorry MG, misunderstood, thought it was lunch for underprivileged women charity. I've got my wires crossed.

Yes, it would be great if they all do some charitable stuff.