Bloggers and brands 2.

[Merriboo]

continuing the discussion from the previous thread about transparency and disclosure (or lack of) by bloggers

Thanks for popping back in Kat. I too, can only speak for myself 😜 when I say I appreciate the new credits on your posts.

Going back to the topics on the bullshitter account, and image manipulation in particular, what do people think about the latest wardrobe icons skincare post? FaceTuned or not?

Wayne Goss has just posted a vlog on this topic here

So as was speculated, the cookery class at Chewton Glen was an invite extended by them with an expectation that she would blog about it afterwards. What does that make it...a sponsored post...an ad....#gifted?

Sponsored post. Should be at start of blog post and stated in the IG posts. Definitely not #dayoutwithhubby fgs.

It is so funny as now chewton glen joins my list of places not to visit.

Sponsored post. Should be at start of blog post and stated in the IG posts

Thought so. There wasn't a single mention of that on the actual day was there? And yes the disclosure comes right at the very end when it should be clearly stated at the top of the post. I believe the idea behind is that is you should know before you start reading the post whether it's sponsored not read the post, think "oh that seems like a really nice event I might like to do that" and then get to the bottom and think "oh wait a minute she didn't actually pay for this so how can I trust her favorable opinion hasn't been bought". As someone else said earlier, the bottom of the post disclosures are all just a bit.....reluctant.

I know it’s irrational but sometimes when they write ‘sponsored post’ ‘hashtag ad’ it pisses me off more. How are you meant to believe them when they are getting paid to reel off their little planned speeches of said items? For me ive seen so many things that annoyed me from them that they can’t really win so i hope the bubble bursts soon. I think it’s all beyond stupid.

Yep, it is such a turn off. When you give something away so readily, you just cheapen it to a really undesirable level. These companies really need to rethink the message they are sending mere mortals through these influencers....... and these influencers need to decide if their integrity allows getting into bed with such blatantly mismatched companies. Do they not realise we are not so stupid/gullible that we actually believe the "I only talk about products I actually love" bollocks? It's all about the money and the freebies.

@flearidden exactly this. This is what happened with the r crilly woman i used to follow. She used to do beauty and i bought quite a few things, most of them were rubbish btw and ive now seen a dermatologist - have key products vit c serums and tretinoin. Skin is better than ever.

Anyway, the point is - all of a sudden she was flogging everything and anything. Random frozen food company stuff when she had never ever mentioned anything about glutem free before. Now she’s doing paid promotions for huggies nappies. And things not paid for are of her opening chanel bags she’s bought herself. All very casual and meh just a chanel bag.

I need to stop looking on instagram but im stunned by how much money they clearly make - seems like whoever pays gets a slot. Im convinced most bloggers think their readers “followers” are thick as shit because otherwise they wouldn’t do it so blatantly.

@its5oclock, no I didn't see any disclosure on the IG post - other than the "thanks for having us!" bit, which isn't anywhere near adequate disclosure of the commercial relationship behind the post. I stupidly watched most of the IG story (though I nearly switched off when there was the strange poll about whether people wanted to see a cookery lesson or not ) and I don't recall any mention of it being sponsored by Chewton Glen. It was only because I had read the blog post earlier about all the "exciting brands' being worked with in 2018 that I was aware there was a relationship there.

I feel a bit mean being critical because she seems very lovely so it feels bit like clubbing a seal....but seriously??? She has worked with brands before in her previous professional roles, "hubby" is obviously a smart guy as well. Surely one of them would think about the need to put some professional structure around this new business of monetising her blog?

....... and I am curiously obsessed by Instagram these days. It's like some bizarre game of bingo - when I have watched 3 of them in their car (it seems necessary to be in your car to establish your mum credentials) bemoaning their parent chores, I feel the need to reward myself somehow..... ffs. I have now gone beyond cross and am enjoying the spectacle - there is no way I would sell myself, my family to earn a buck.

Yes the "I only feature products that I love" or similar type wording - how can they say they only feature products that they love and then write about something they'd never used before. Did they know they were going to love it before they accepted the collaboration? Is there some small print somewhere that says, if I don't like this product, deal's off. You can send a product back but you can't give back a hotel stay or a holiday.

You rarely see anything negative written when there's an agreement in place to feature it but I guess it's a catch 22 situation. If they genuinely didn't love it, they can't feature it (as per their own standards), but if they accepted the collaboration, they surely have some duty to deliver for the brand. Presumably negative reviews means you're not going to get asked again and I'm sure after a few negative reviews, there's someone more compliant ready and waiting to fill your shoes.

@merriboo, thanks for the link that was an interesting watch. I think the more self-aware and emotionally intelligent bloggers are waking up to the fact that things are going to have to change. (that video blurring effect is AMAZING by the way)

Interestingly the engagement rate on the Chewton Glen IG post was 1.82% and the rate on today's downstairs loo post is currently 4.5% and it has only been up for a few hours, so her downstairs loo appears to be far more appealing to followers than a freebie trip to Chewton Glen, LOL.

It's an interesting example of people gaining a following because of one aspect (in this case interiors / house renovation) and then trying to segue into the broader "lifestyle" market which they obviously do because let's face it once you've shown every room from every angle, you're kind of running out of content.

Can I be really thick - who is the Chewton Glen / Interiors blogger?

Just watched that video. Yes.

It really is about having just an ounce of integrity.

Lemongincosy I used to be a frequent reader of AMR too, when she had a USP and it felt like she was giving readers insider tips on new beauty products she encountered at the sharp end of the beauty industry. Now it’s just turned into unboxing whatever she’s been sent by a PR agency, I don’t see anything new or special about her blog anymore. I miss the old AMR.

Just to let you know there is an awesome forum called guru gossiper and there are now about 25 chapters (45 pages long) going through how LEM / LM is a complete sham. Makes for a hilarious read ;)

If I see a brand being poorly shilled by a blogger I complain to the brand . I now have a list of brands that I won’t buy from .

I’ve always loved Mulberry but why the heck am I going to spend 1.5k on a bag they send out to bloggers - some with only 50k followers for free - er no.

Lemon, yes I followed AMR until she joined gleam and started flogging anything sent her but also much worse using her children to flog stuff.

On another thread a blogger filmed her daughter eating breakfast as 3 year old screamed 'no photos, no photos' then blogger apparently spent the day trying to catch her out with said camera. OMFG!

I also bought expensive lotions and potions with nil effect until a year ago started acid toning, using vit c and retin a. Now I never buy expensive crap. But also as all informed beauty bloggers know this ( CH SH admit to using retin a) what more is there to possibly say?
I also wonder why they don't admit to Botox while they're plugging the latest cream? Non of them can move their swollen foreheads.
I don't follow any of them anymore it's all a big dishonest con which I hope implodes.

I am astonished that instagram haven't started commissioning the gifts / fees that their platform allows these people to generate. Along with what I'm sure is an interesting relationship with hmrc, it would sure sort the wheat from the chaff on what people are prepared to endorse (the Clts / next collar continues to stretch he imagination too far e.g.)

Also the comment deleting that all these people do - they should move to China ! Censoring opinions 😂😂

That socialblade is great. I saw someone wittering about how she "invested" in her social media profile - I can now see that means buying followers 2000+ in one day.

Do the companies not exercise any due diligence and look at the numbers to see where their influencers followers are from?

To be fair Kat is very honest about her Botox, I think it looks good and I'm interested to hear about who she uses and which areas she gets done!