Bloggers and Brands 3

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

New thread I hope.

@KittyMcKitty I've just spotted that too .

@Alliealoop

We used it lots when we lived in London we had a regular babysitter who the girls adored but it hasn’t quite picked up since we’ve moved down to Kent.

Ok.
So if you’ve been paid for something or been gifted it and it’s jist not that good can you then say that. Or because you’ve been paid or are gifted it does that make it impossible.
Because not everything can be great even if you are careful about what you choose to advertise.
Genuinely really curious about this. Especially with holidays.

Wouldn't it be nice if some of these more "choreographed" Instagrammers could start their posts with #ad - must more honest than trying to flog a lifestyle that most people can't afford. They, or should I say you, as we know you are reading this thread, must know that you are painting a picture that doesn't reflect reality for so many people. Cheesy hashtags don't disguise a blatant sales pitch. #letsbehonest #initforthemoney

I am hopeful that the ASA review will sort out all of these issues and grey areas:

• how to disclose gifts and payments in kind (answer should be...clearly)
• where to place the #ad hashtag - before or after the blurb or buried in a mountain of other witty hashtags?
• do you #ad or use the paid partnership, or both?
• whether to #ad or #spon (these are some of the most pathetic hashtags ever by the way, how hard is it to add -vert or -sored??), or something else?
• do you disclose on every post not just the first one you put up (yes) and across all platforms (yes)
• get rid of the silly (g) - I can't actually believe some people are still using that dumb g
• how to (not do you) disclose affiliate links and differentiate them from non affiliated links
• aaaaaaand, some kind of proper penalty system for people that don't comply

I think the FB news in the press has shown quite clearly the social media platforms are incapable of self-regulation. Time for the regulators to step in.

Excellent post @Dowhatyouwanna

(What is the (g) thing if you don't mind me asking though? I don't think I've seen that. Or maybe never noticed it).

Ah, doesn't matter, I think I've worked it out. (G) is gifted.

i wouldn’t be surprised if you missed it! It is used by some bloggers to denote a gift. It was used briefly by DMBL40 who (quite rightly) swiftly binned it in favour of just stating - gift.

Obviously the whole gift/freebie/payment in kind/collaboration/friend with benefits issue is a whole other topic 😜

Bang on Dowhatyouwanna - it will be interesting to see if the ASA does actually have teeth. New industry really in need of regulation and the sooner the better.

Agree about Instagrammers and placing of #ad, it should definitely be the first thing you see on a post. I think Emma Hill is pretty good at being very clear as to what is an ad or a gift.

Hiding #ad way down a post just smacks of firstly being slightly embarrassed at posting an ad, and secondly, if you’re trying to hide it, you quite clearly don’t really believe in or like the product you’re pushing, so why bother.

mytether - I totally understand your thread. When an Instagrammer rallies their *community" behind them, reminds them how wonderful Instagram is, and why it is all about the cause ..... all I can wonder is why, then is it so important that you are actively selling to these same people, getting rich off them, choreographing a lifestyle campaign to promote inadequacy and envy in others.

I think the ASA is a bit of a toothless tiger here. They set out guidelines and codes of conduct, but they don’t go around policing, they really rely on brands playing nicely, and the public making complaints. With traditional above the line advertising it works pretty well, because the advertising agencies essentially fund the ASA, so it’s in their interests to follow the codes. I think the online stuff is so big, and so unwieldy, it is a completely different animal. I also think that the audience relates to influencers in a completely different way. While you might make a complaint about Paddy Power to the ASA, it’s far less likely people are going to complain about someone they perceive as an “online friend”.

Glad I'm not the only cynic though! Here are instructions on how to post, when to post and even the need to incorporate those naff motivational quotes neilpatel.com/blog/make-money-on-instagram/ . Let's be honest, it's a business!

That’s all true, @Judy, but the ASA finished by saying “ If the evidence suggests that we need to change the way we regulate then we will set out how we intend to achieve that.” So I think it recognises its own limitations and is open to change in how to enforce the rules. I have also seen various politicians grumbling about the social media giants (and that is even putting tonight’s news aside!) and Sadiq Khan gave a speech recently suggesting greater regulation of social media will need to happen > www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/12/sadiq-khan-to-slam-government-for-dereliction-of-duty-in-failing-to-regulate-tech

All the signs are that social media is going to be subject to better and more rigorous controls in future and as their models are essentially based on advertising, this will mean transparency will have to be addressed (I hope)

dowhat I hope you’re right. But even if the ASA took a more militant approach rather than relying on complaints, there is no way they could police every two-bit blogger who’s got a freebie candle, or is posting in collaboration (ahem) with a brand. My feeling is that the only way this could work efficiently is to introduce the threat of HUGE fines which would effectively scare people into disclosing correctly. I think some big brands deliberately court controversy and suck up the financial implications as a form of generating conversation (the old French Connection ads, Paddy Power, Irn Bru, off the top of my head) but I don’t expect many bloggers/influencers, even pro-bloggers, could afford to take risks.

PS. I was approached to be a “brand ambassador” on Instagram today. I felt like I’d arrived! (It was, I think, some MLM thing, NuSkin, so I politely declined.)

I think someone linked upthread about large fines that the Australian ASA equivalent had introduced, but their rules seem equally as fuzzy as ours so I don't think they will be easy to enforce. I think fines are a strong possibility though, as much for the deterrent factor as anything else, and I think they would be focused on the brands, who would then have to clearer with their bloggers about what they expect in terms of disclosure.

There is still a place for some self regulation with influencers calling out others that don't play by the book, and as disclosure becomes more widespread it perversely may become more attractive to fledging influencers as it may make them appear more successful (and therefore more attractive as a collaborator) to brands than if they didn't have any sponsored content.

And then of course like any industry you will get some 'rogue traders' who just refuse to play by the rules. But those ones rarely become hugely profitable in the long run, or eventually fizzle and go out of business because people don't trust them.

If you go to the Instagram account of Nik Speller he has a saved Instastory on how to disclose properly.

This covers the requirement that "AD" should be displayed prominently in the caption and not a hashtag hidden down the page. He cites the regulation from ASA and CAP that makes this a requirement and why. He acknowledges the rules are open to "interpretation" but the way he has published his explanation of the rules makes a lot of sense and I think the instagrammers who aren't disclosing properly have no excuses any longer.

I should add I don't know Nik, I just came across his account and enjoyed the transparency he advocates (and his pictures)

In case anyone else always wonders why Wardrobe Icons only ever include items from certain high street shops and never from others, it's because the following pay affiliate commission with tracking cookies:
Mango - no figures
M&S - 5%
Topshop - 6-8%
Kurt Geiger - 5%
Boden - 5%
Monsoon - 5%
J Crew - no figures
& Other Stories - no figures
Dune - 5%

They do disclose the use of the links on their site, but unfortunately the disclosure refers to the FTC (a US body) and also appears to be copied directly from WhoWhatWear's (which started off in the US) disclosure page.

Makes you wonder how authentic their "smart price" recommendations actually are, and whether you could in fact get something nicer at e.g. Zara. (It always seemed fishy that they love M&S, Boden and Monsoon!)

And Net a Porter which enables them to put lots of different designer brands on the site and earn up to 6% commission - gives the appearance that they are 'curating' () a diverse range of designers but actually it is all just driving traffic to NAP.

I would be very surprised if they didn't have a paid gig with J Crew as well as the affiliate links. I also now assume that any blogger that goes heavy on & Other Stories has a paid partnership with them.

Now I'm irritated. This thread has been a huge eye opener to the shady dealings of many instagrammers. However, another instance has annoyed me. I follow Amelia Freer on Instagram and think of her as sensible and ethical. She's on a beautiful holiday in the Maldives - it looks truly exquisite. On day freaking 4 of her week's holiday, she has just revealed she is staying for a discounted rate in return for promoting the resort. Not a single mention of this earlier. Apparently this doesn't make it sponsored or an ad.

I think this is really deceitful because I was sucked in. I don't go on holidays that luxurious and i did look it up and fantasise about going there. But it was an advert all along. Which makes it much less lovely. And I will never go there now because I will not pay top whack so they can subsidise Instagrammers to go at a discount. And I've unfollowed Amelia Freer as it is simply lying by omission.

I also follow Amelia Freer because I like her principles, when I saw her posts I thought what a lovely well deserved break! Grrrr I can’t believe it’s an advert.
They are all up to it!

I also thought MOD and FOD’s recent London break was just that, a break that they had paid for....but no...a tiny little #ad was hidden in there.
It just isn’t real, which is fine but put a clear disclosure and I can swipe past!!!!