To find influencers being gifted stuff puts me off the brand?

[Sparrowchicken]

I know the concept and point of influencers being gifted stuff, it's because they have a social media reach and it's a lot cheaper for the brand to send some stuff than to develop ads and pay for them to be distributed.

I don't follow a tonne of people but often get videos or posts showing up in my suggested feed, saw one yesterday for a brand aimed at mid 20s plus, so young adults and adults rather than teens etc. The 'influencer' was gifted tickets to the Eras tour (which are well sought after) even though they've posted about going numerous times before, and lots of products in return for a quick, lazy video and post saying wow look what I got.

I love this brand, I've used it for years, and I know it's petty as when you spend money on them they can spend it on what they want, but I've reached the point it just puts me off. Sadly the list of brands that don't work with influencers is probably small so limits options of avoiding it.

Does anyone else find it off putting? On the one hand yeah sure it allows 'regular' people to make a career on social media, and maybe it is just jealousy- when you work hard for your money and spend it on these products it is crap to see someone get loads (that theyll probably never use) for free. Or do you ever feel influenced and like it makes a product more appealing?

I thought the same yesterday, didn’t watch it all. Is it a make up artist?

I find the whole concept of influencers quite sad. I don’t need to ne influenced by these vacuous people. Just stop looking.

Agree OP

Yes agree 100%. A department store gifting Eras tickets to an influencer, really put me off and I have unfollowed Find it frankly incredible how much free stuff is given away to very ordinary mums. I’d much rather see some glamour.

I done mind influencers. But what I don't like is:
Not being transparent about it being gifted
Teeny text saying Ad hidden under other stuff or in white on a white background - own it
People who swear by a product and then a different one weeks later or do a GRWM and none of said product shown
Wafting about in dresses at fancy dinners to later push products on people

I get what you mean, but on the other hand, it's just being paid to advertise their product?

I'm not an influencer follower, I don't like Instagram

Doesn't bother me.

The move away from TV to streaming services and more online news/magazines - with virtually everywhere offering upgrades to ad-free means it's harder for brands to advertise and be noticed.

It makes sense they take different routes.

I can't stand them as it's all so fake, the product might be shite and they'll still plug it. But then all marketing is like that.
I just avoid influencers content and adverts, life is much better that way

Payments don't bother me really, I think that's fair people are paid for the 'work' they do. But it's the freebies and access to experiences I think I personally find galling. Eras tour for example, unless you want to pay 5 x face value lots of people couldn't get tickets, yet brands are allocated/buy sections and just hand them over to people who have already been numerous times- including for free with other brands.

I just don't get really what the appeal is supposed to be? I understand with make up influencers being sent stuff to try out and create content on, but are we supposed to feel influenced by someone greedily going again to an event lots would love to go to and didn't even get one chance just because they lazily tag the brand in the unrelated post they make?

I think so, it just appeared on my suggested by looking at her profile it looks like it.

If you're ever feeling petty can report the hard to see ad declarations to ASA. My favourite is those paid to promote a certain phone manufacturer who do posts but then use their main competitors phone openly in all of their other day to day posts- it's so blatant but the brands don't seem to care.

It doesn't bother me. They are people who are followed by many, it's probably a much cheaper way of the brand advertising things. Makes total business sense.

Absolutely, I boycott anything that’s been gifted or advertised by influencers.

I don’t expect my actions to really change much, but it’s my own form of personal protest.

Influencing is paid narcissism, it shouldn’t be a job.

It’s just a form of advertising. Any large, well-known brand will also be spending millions of pounds on marketing, advertising and brand promotion elsewhere: why is that more palatable than an option which allows smaller brands and individuals just starting out without much of a marketing budget the opportunity to gain attention and following for their products? Surely it actually levels the playing field somewhat. I don’t really get the hate for influencers, whilst simultaneously accepting the concepts of supermodels, runway fashion, glossy magazines, and TV commercials.

I don’t think I’ve ever watched or seen anything from an ‘influencer’! Brands will have to work harder for my attention

On the other hand I have deleted plenty of begging emails wanting a free holiday in my FHL in exchange for “exposure”. Horrible grifters the whole lot of them

I get that it’s advertising but I just find it bad advertising when they routinely send packages out to the same influencer who says that every brand is their ‘go to’ or their ‘favourite’.

One influencer I used to watch would get a heap of free P20 suncream and bleat about how it’s her favourite suncream, but 3 weeks later she was saying the exact same thing about her free Eucerin suncream. Yet she’d get the whole P20 package again in August.

It doesn’t put me off the product but I do feel it makes the brand look somewhat silly. There are endless other influencers to promote your product.

Influencer marketing is becoming a really low-brow, uncreative and boring form of advertising

I think it’s had its day. Advertisers need to get creative again and work harder.

Or bring talent back into the game. Seeing a beautiful item worn or used by a renowned woman of talent (a woman of substance!) - eg a glamorous movie or sports star - is a world away from these everyday not especially talented or special people (ie just like me!) using it. Where’s the aspiration?!

I completely agree. The latest one that’s wound me up is David Lloyd. Membership is extremely expensive and it’s a luxury we work hard to have and make lots of use of as a family. Now it seems every bloody mummy blogger has got a freebie.

I stop following people when they start making video after video of gifts or in paid partnership.

I cross stitch and watch a lot of YouTubers. A common marketing plan is for cross stitch designers/companies to send free kits to the YouTubers in exchange for promo, especially stitchalongs. It actively turns me off the brand, because I feel like my paid version is going to support the YouTuber who has already got more things to stitch than they know what to do with.

I don't really notice it because i don't follow any influencers or use instagram or tiktok at all

Yes I feel a bit like this. I don't mind so much if it's a good fit - I love Hush clothes and when they tag influencers they've gifted I often love their overall style and follow them.

But not so much the likes of Vogue and Spencer Matthews who suddenly kit their whole families out in head to toe in M&S clothes. I just don't believe they'd be wearing them, maybe the kids at a push but Vogue their evening wear?! Nothing against those celebs and M&S in particular, it's just a recent example that sprung to mind...

Sounds like the concept of “someone like me” advertising products has had its day.

Although what’s the difference between a social media “influencer” who makes her living advertising everyday products, and an actress who does TV adverts selling everyday products (eg fairy liquid, vacuums, sun cream). Is it because the latter isn’t pretending being an advert model/ actress isn’t her job?

I don’t like it when brand ambassadors don’t fit with the brand they’re plugging. I know for a fact Louise Redknapp would not be seen dead in fucking Peacocks clothes but she has a clothing line with them. Abbey Clancy dresses in high end clothes, she loves luxury fashion, she’s friends with people that work high-up in big designer fashion houses. She moaned when Pete bought her the wrong Chanel bag. That’s why it’s bullshit when she models for F&F @ Tesco and raves about supermarket fashion. She’s never pictured in anything remotely affordable.

Another that gets my goat is Vogue Williams plugging Fairy washing tablets. Like she does her own washing!! She’s not a relatable Mum of three, she’s a multimillionaire living in a house worth about 70 million quid in Chelsea.

What you are noticing is a lack of imagination from the brand marketing teams as much as anything - sounds like they are lazily putting product in the hands of those with the biggest audiences (not always, but often, bought audiences) rather than researching to find individuals who align with their brand values and who would be able to use their products authentically.
The David Lloyd example is particularly interesting as I’ve noticed they seem to have blanketed the ‘mummy influencer’ space with no thought about the audience crossover (it’s a reasonably niche space) and overexposure - fairly sure their marketing team won’t be hitting expected numbers and will rein it back in.
As for the influencers, as the old saying goes, don’t hate the player, hate the game…