Influencers - really stupid question

[Ollycat]

Really stupid question- sorry!!

Influencers like Inthefrow etc do they basically just get paid to go somewhere, wear tge brands clothes, makeup etc and put it on their Instagram stories. So at the mo she’s in Iceland with Dior and there’s pics of her in the Blue Lagoon wearing Dior makeup - presumably Dior’s paying as they think we will now all rush out and buy Dior makeup.

Have I got this right or am I missing something?

I would assume Dior are subsidising heavily. She may have other sponsors also.

She's a spokesperson. She is basically a model, think of it that way. She has an agency, and contracts with various companies to represent their brands to her vast audience.

But the basic premise is she gets paid to go around the world and wear people’s stuff as people will buy it as they want to be like her??? Is that it??? Dior are deffo paying for the Iceland trip - there are 4 of them there.

I must be v old it all seems v odd!!

Yep, they probably pay for most of the trip in return for her wearing and promoting their brand. It's the new form of advertising. She has 816k followers which are a direct target market for Dior.

Things like that are press trips, laid on and paid for by brands for marketing purposes. The make up or whatever product the brand is pushing is often provided as ‘gifts’ to the youtuber/blogger/journo. Like new products launches in the PR world. There’s a grey area as to whether they are sponsorship ads as per the ASA guidelines as I don’t think the invites get to go on the condition that the trip features on their platform (blog/vlog/whatever). The brand isn’t paying directly for the content/brand to feature but it is a bit murky.

I suspect these bloggers etc go to loads of these launches amd only a tiny proportion feature on their platforms.

Yeah, if you watch her vlogs it's a bit clearer. She spends literally every working day going to launches. Sometimes 3/4 a day. There are companies who are interested in signing her up as an influencer and with that, comes launches in other countries. Bringing people to exotic locations to launch a product is the new way, as it makes phenomenal pictures on Instagram.

Btw most of the launches she goes to aren't shown outside vlogs. So there doesn't seem to be any expectation that she puts them on IG. They're plain old "treats" and the inevitable goodie bags are "gifts". She seems to reserve her IG for the companies she has contracts with.

Media people (which is what these new social media people are, like it or not) have long been invited to launches of new products / services. It isn’t unique or new as a result of social media / you tube.

There was a thread discussing similar to this, late last year www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3080766-Bloggers-and-brands

I was looking to see if there was a second thread started once that was full but can't see one which is a shame. Quite eye opening.

@EnidButton here is the second thread, it's slipped to p5.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3116299-Bloggers-and-brands-2

Ooh will check the other threads. I have to confess all this monetisation of insta has put me off. I loved it when it was a real alternative to mags & yes as pp has said mags do it too. I understand they need to make money but so many seem to sell out & go off brand.

Thank you MrsM

It's not a stupid question at all. The Bloggers and Brands threads were a massive eye opener for me (and some bloggers ).

Thank you everyone.

Yes the Bloggers and Brands thread was an eye opener and the amount of gifting which goes on. CLTS and her refusal to be transparent really bugs me.

I’ve only just started following Inthefrow (and don’t watch her vlogs) and am a bit at this group of women who basically just get flown around the world to wear someone’s frock in an exotic location- how much money do people like her make?

It puts me off the brands rather than sways me towards them. Especially the brands that send out huge full ranges free to lots of instagrammers and bloggers and then charge ££££ to everyone else.

If they are on this list (like InTheFrow) they are signed to Gleam, a management company who will take a cut in return for finding "clients" opportunities, such as being paid to go on a press trip for Dior or "working with" Topshop. They often mention each other (e.g. InTheFrow recommends Samantha Maria and Meghan Ellaby in her recent video).

It's probably close to how being a fashion editor of a magazine was 10 years ago. Brand lunches, free stuff turning up, brands paying for advertorials.

They can make serious money. If influencers are using affiliate links like rewardstyle & you click on an item, the cookies stay on your computer for a month. Any purchases you make in that month the blogger will earn commission on. That's why I feel authenticity gets lost as only companies with big budgets can afford to part of the likes of rewardstyle and for the bloggers are they going to show a product that they wont earn commission on or one they will?

D'oh, forgot to link. www.gleamfutures.com

@EnidButton It puts me off brands too. It's the most patronising form of marketing.