Bloggers and brands

[homebythesea]

I love blogs, YouTube, Instagram etc but sometimes do wonder what's in it for the brands especially regarding blogger events.

Straight up reviews of things they get sent I totally get- they try things on/ use a face cream, wax lyrical about how great the thing is, people click through and buy said item. Straightforward advertising. No problem with that at all.

But when a blogger is invited to a dinner, or night away at a hotel, or a movie premiere by a brand I just don't get what is worth the expense? From the blogger perspective they get a night out and a goodie bag and maybe even paid to attend. But what does the brand get in return? A brief tag on an Instagram pic, some photos of beautiful place settings at dinner......but not necessarily sales?? These events must cost thousands to put on.

Hopefully someone with some knowledge about these things will enlighten us!

Interesting to note that a few of the items she’s worn yesterday and today and were ‘gifted’ are from brands represented by the Brand Ambassadors Agency. In fact a lot of her clothes are from their brands. So we can take it there’s some form of partnership between Kat & the Brand Ambassadors. All this only wear what I’d buy is crap - if she wasn’t given so much to promote, she’d be back constantly trawling through Zara like she did a few years ago.

So what are some of the brands represented
by that agency ? I know Air and Grace . Is Hill & Friends another one ?

Love the dumplings insult ! Sitting here feeling like a dumpling

I've been away from this for a bit and am quite shocked by the way in which KF has dealt with it, and her tolerance for horrible comments on her insta feed. I genuinely don't understand why it's not OK to express likes and dislikes, preferences and beliefs here. My job is extremely 'feedback heavy', and if I dealt with negative feedback in that way, I'd be in trouble.

A point I didn't make earlier but meant to is really just that the intervention of agencies does seem to have changed the game. I don't have a problem with them helping to maximise bloggers' incomes, but I would have thought they would also want to help them have sustainable careers? To me it feels less sustainable when we watch them all traipse around the same events, because it feels too in your face. And when a single blogger appears at multiple (freebie/discounted) events in a short space of time it puts me off. It's a question of balance, I would have though.

My other point was a wider one which is that fashion blogs inevitably encourage you to shop! And I have found the sheer amount bloggers seem to have (much of which is of course free or discounted) makes me feel inadequate in comparison - not jealous but as if I don't have enough, when in fact I have loads. It's interesting, because clothes are my 'thing' and Instagram is especially effective at bombarding me with 'things' I want. More effective than a magazine, and definitely than other forms of advertising, which are nowhere near as targeted.

So this is a very personal thing, but all that makes me less inclined to follow, mainly for my own mental and financial health. I don't think that should worry any blogger very much or even encourage them to get engaged - ultimately, I am obviously not their target market, they have lots of other followers and of course, consumerism is what they do!

I don't think saying any of this makes me a bitch, it's just a conversation.

You are right about kf berry. I have unfollowed her for this very reason. She is happy to leave the bitches and fuck em comments on her feed and seems to be revelling in them. It has made me think twice about her. I like her blog and I like her Instagram normally but now I just can’t follow her because I’ve lost all respect for her. Not that being a fashion blogger means you have to be an honourable person per se but it has really put me off her

....So what are some of the brands represented
by that agency ? I know Air and Grace . Is Hill & Friends another one ....

Mos Mosh (today’s blazer), Rue de Femme(recent leather wide leg trousers and more), Air & Grace, Orwell & Austen (she owns several items from there). Don’t think they represent Hill & Friends.

Oops not the wide legged leather trousers - but the leather joggers.

I’ve been thinking a bit about this, and I’ve said in my previous replies I’d continue to read her blog, as I do like it, I do enjoy her writing style. But thinking about it, I don’t think I will read it anymore. It has really surprised me that she has let such nasty replies remain on her insta, it very much seemed like she was fuelling it all, and that she was revelling in all the arse licking TBH. I also don’t think she’s that much of an influence style wise, not for me anyway...She doesn’t really change anything up, seems stuck in a rut.

I agree with you paintbox. I really liked her blog too, but I feel the negative comments are being fed tbh.

Hill and Friends are with Liz Matthews PR.

People are still posting insults on that IG post, LOL.

The way that big bloggers deal with constructive criticism is just so unprofessional.
It is as if they are so used to hearing flattering words from their fans that they act like cornered cobras as soon as anyone dares to comment otherwise.

Well just looking through some blogs and the vipers have had some success. Myfashionable40s is now including what clothes have been gifted and it's a lot. Very interesting, my assumptionhad always been that since Bum40's job is blogging that most of her stuff would be gifted. But Myfashionable40s works PT and blogs much more sporadically than Bum40 but still is wearing a lot of gifted stuff. Mind you Dresslikeamum blogs about once a month and only seems to do sponsored posts these days so what do I know.

I’m really disappointed in how she has handled this, I’ve followed Kat for almost 5 years, I remember reading her blog when I was pregnant with my four year olds. I’ve been totally turned off now, although if I’m honest I was losing interest in her anyway, I found her recent insta stories annoying, all the lucky me, wow, at events, hotel rooms etc, and how many floral maxi dresses does one person need.

As many as can be given!!!!

Im beginning to feel a bit bad that my idle musings on modern marketing methods has led to THIS!!

Homebythesea your threaf has changed the way some of the most popular bloggers recorded how they got their clothes. That's quite an achievement. Ignore all the crap on Insta, Kat is more measured on her actual blogs abou it.

OMG, how many typos!

An achievement entirely unintended. I was, and am, genuinely curious and whilst my thoughts were triggered by KF's Instagram, as this conversation has shown she is not the only influencer working with brands in the same way. I will continue to read the blogs of those I like but with more knowledge about what lies beneath.

Here's my thought.

The Brand Ambassadors Agency has tagged two independent shops in a reply to 'where has the (gifted) blazer come from?' on a new post.

One of them is very local to me and I frequent it a lot.

However, the BAA's reaction to this thread has now made me think twice about shopping there.

That's how influence works in my head.

CountFosco Are you sure you mean myfashionable40s when you say she has a lot of gifted items? All I can see is the same bag in the last few posts and a necklace in one post. Everything else she has bought, and lots of it isn't even current season.

Just feel that considering how this thread has been interpreted by critics over on Insta, we should be careful about being truthful with what is said on this thread, especially when naming specific accounts. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

It's very interesting to see how the thread has developed, I do think that a little more transparency about gifted and advertised items was well overdue. However it also puts me off because it's not the "look what i picked up/found online" and a lot more a company gave me this and asked me to sell it to you whilst pretending I've chosen and paid for it. Obviously if a blogger writes a post several times a week that's a huge amount of new clothes so unrealistic to assume they're out buying everything but previously it was the same clothes put together differently and a lot more thought involved. It was fun, easy to copy and reasonably priced. Now it's supposedly aspirational and expensive. Unfortunately they've lost me and I'm out.

If you read her blog you will see reference to gifted items

I also notice Kat has gained 1k followers since yesterday.