Bloggers and Brands 3

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

New thread I hope.

..... and that's really the problem, isn't it? It's the endless "must have, must buy" mentality. I am lucky enough to be in the "affluent" income bracket and yet the endless, endless consumption makes me feel queasy. I can imagine how easy it must be when it doesn't cost money, but, really, where does it end? For me, and I know it's personal, and I know it's not the purpose of these threads, I am a bit gutted that this now is what society cherishes and aspires to. I work in (mostly young) adult education, badly paid but do-able because my husband has a well paid job, and I see first hand, and daily, the real effect of social media on our young adults. Well, I am never going to be an inflencer, but, wow, would I love to see my sister, the head of department in an inner city school, gracing the front page of a glossy in recognition of the work she does. Sorry, sorry, sorry - total hijack after a long day at work.

very interesting article June, and illustrates why discussions like this absolutely must happen. If the 'misleading by omission' (and that's a quote in the article) advertising by influencers continued to go unchallenged, then it becomes normalised. I'm glad many are becoming more honest and using the correct hashtags, other countries will become wise to this as an income stream eventually, follow suit with Australia and fine for hidden advertising.

How long before Instagram catches on and wants a cut from affiliate links?

It is always the same old bloggers who don't disclose and won't even really enter into a conversation about it. Just so odd but will benefit those who do longer term as they will have the trust of their followers.

It is funny how things have changed though - only a year or so ago I would look at Instagram/blogs for style inspiration and click through on items I liked. Now if I happen to see a blogger wearing something I had liked it totally puts me off the item.

WIT is the only one I really follow now and I know she is shadey as fuck with regards to gifts etc but I do like her style.

I am back to looking at how things are styled on nap/matches for inspiration.

I’m the same mrscampbell, these ubiquitous insta gifting brands I just wont touch now, and the list is getting longer and longer. And I buy a lot of clothes, etc. But....for every one person like me that’s put off, they have hundreds of people that will buy into the whole thing, so it’s not going to change.

Two footwear companies spring to mind, a clothing brand that has its own dedicated thread on here (I won’t name them as I feel that isn’t fair) two jewellery brands, and there’s more! I’m even put off some high street brands now with their paid partnerships.

There’s several jewellery brands that I wouldn’t buy from because of the amount of bloggers being gifted items, to me it cheapens the jewellery.

The same with Jo Malone, the never-ending gifts to bloggers, the dinners, the breakfasts, etc - and seldom, if ever, any discounts for their actual customers.

Even Lily & Lionel, a small brand with a small range at any one time and the amount that’s gifted to bloggers. I think if they only had one or two bloggers promoting them, it would have more of a return for them in the long term.

The same with some of the smaller cashmere brands, not to mention Hill & Friends bags, Seven Boot Lane shoes - and so on.

They’re all wearing the House of Fraser ‘courage’ t shirt today, I have no problem with charity tees but I would genuinely like to know if the tees have been gifted or did they purchase?

The courage tshirts really aren't that stylish, and don't look like something they would typically wear... I'd say they were free. (And we will never see them worn again.)

@DillyDilly Jo Malone is very annoying m - I actually can't stand the brand, especially now it has this whole press 'house' - I mean that is almost sickening money to spend on marketing. And the over the top floral displays and gifts to bloggers are vulgar to me. It also serves to alienate the brand from their own customers. As you say, never discounts for their paying customers - which obv begs the question 'so we are not special?'

And the jewellery brands like Monica Vinader - I have a few things from there and it's very cheap fashion stuff. Tarnishes too quickly for the money.

Reading this tread is illuminating. More and more over the last weeks I ve disregarded what ever bloggers on IG are saying as totally disingenuous. IMO it s most likely sponsored or bought - and fair go if they can make a living doing that then for with them.

I followed IG to get a quick way to keep up to date with fashion style etc (don't have time to pour over magazines ) but to be frank I feel completely let down, it s all gifting, no blogger has a mind of their own. I follow a group of bloggers - they are all at the same lunches all at the same launches - some declare, others clearly don't and make it look like the just like that brand, One was wearing a ring, think it was marked as gifted, not sure, but I liked it, so I looked it up, (this particular blogger she says she wouldn't wear it unless she liked the brand!) Wore it for 2-3 days mentioned it intensively - hasn't been seen since!
Another - I liked her she was fresh and new and honest - suddenly she s got one of those fur coats they re all trotting out like my old great aunt mae - those coats look so damned bonkers - disproportionate to the bloggers size, the little heads poking out of these huge furry masses - lolz ( granted she did say #gifted). Immediately she s gone down in my estimation though. I didn't think she would be bought. Gah!
Everyone can be bought. Says a lot about humanity.
Am just going to be my own self. I like my own style. Don't need to emulate silly bloggers- they re not origional anyway - they re all wearing the same thing +- the #gifted

Hello!! I was asked if I would raise awareness of the charity tee at House of Fraser and mentioned it with pleasure, as it’s a really good cause and some people may not have been aware.

The tee was sent to me to promote, as it’s easier to do that than ask to visit instore, and I will be returning it. Hence I never mentioned that I’d be keeping it, or wearing it, it was just to let people know that all profits from the sale of it would be going to the charity.

It’s actually a really good quality tee (I have kissed a lot of t-shirt frogs recently, for significantly more money in my quest to find the perfect shape and fabric) and whilst it might not your personal style, there definitely will be a market out there.

I personally didn't have an issue over what was disclosed with the charity tees. I know how hard it is for charities to raise money and it was a good cause - if bloggers can use their profile to encourage more people to buy the t shirts and raise money for the charity then good on them (think HOF could have donated profits for longer than a day though)

Those fur coats though . They are £300!!

Thank you again for your admirable transparency, Kat.

I saw the tee on CLTS's stories and thought it didn't fit her style. (Or mine, for that matter.)

I have now watched your stories and you did an excellent job promoting the tshirt and providing the charity with exposure. You are of course right, there will be a market for them. You are far more tactful than me.

Brands really need to be aware how much of a turn off lack of transparency is.

The bit that makes me uncomfortable is the ‘buy this t-shirt, it’s a great cause, but I’ll not be mentioning that I got mine for free’ part.

Bit I think we assume its a promotional item when its a charity tee complete with blurb? Thats a tale as old as time. I don't expect the Stand Up 4 Cancer or Comic Relief tees to have been purchased by the celebs doing the telethon either, ya know?

I think with the HOF t-shirt thing, you’d expect it to be given FOC for those promoting the charity aspect really.

Of the bloggers, I’ve seen promoting it, Kat has done the best job!

I'm just bitter, now they're all posting mothers day freebies. I want freebies

Haha yes I want the freebies too Mother’s Day is a couple of days before the anniversary of my mother’s death (she died 30 years ago) so am feeling a bit sorry for myself at the moment.

Anyway my pity party aside Kat and Erica Davies are doing an amazing job leading the way with transparency and it does not detract from their content in the slightest (Kat I know you’ve lost your mum too - hope you have a great mother’s day).

What's happened with MOD - saw on insta that she had promoted a brand that ripped off someone else and she apologised? Who was it?

She did a follow Friday, and was altered to the issue by her followers, don’t know who it was she linked to.

First time poster on here. This is a really interesting thread and I've taken ages reading them all!

I hate the word "gifted". A gift is something you give to someone because you like them and you expect nothing in return. These aren't gifts. They're freebies that they want the blogger to promote. It's a business deal.

It's a really clever word to use because of all the associations with gifts being for people you love. It makes us think the Grammer is a special person and so we want to be special too. Who doesn't want Gucci to love them so much they'll send them presents?

Did anyone see what happened with FOD and Dorset cereals this morning? In the morning I opened IG and he was on a video promoting the cereals and the same 'slow down for breakfast week' that MOD did recently. The comments were all really negative and it is not on FOD's or Dorset Cereals IG anymore? Then MOD posted a quote along the lines of not taking crap from anyone and just to rise above it...? Did anyone else see that or was I half asleep?

I haven't looked at Insta very much lately and was really taken by Claudia Winkleman's piece in yesterday Sunday Times on why she had deleted her IG account. She quotes the wonderful Victoria Coren Mitchell who gets it right in a nutshell “The problem with Instagram is, why would you want to elicit envy?”....... and that is what it does.

I didn't see that this morning but I did see Mods post @easypeasylife
I thought it was hilarious given Fods reaction to being a Wanker last week.

I also just saw that Binky of the recent Mothers Day campaign has commented "Amen"

When I see those passive aggressive memes and quotes in response to some perceived wrongdoing, rather than a picture of zen and tranquility I have an image of someone furiously tapping away at their phone in my head.