Bloggers and Brands 3

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

New thread I hope.

@Motherpukka - in answer to your earlier question about who I follow, I don't! I joined Instagram to keep up with my nieces, nephews and friends - I guess it is a bit of a shared family album. I would follow people if I could find anyone to follow. I am a lumpy, bumpy middle-aged woman who does enjoy beauty and fashion and does make an effort to look nice - which seems to matter more to my self-confidence as I get older. I also value my privacy so much that I wouldn't want to share my follower/following list with anyone. (Not sure if that just means I don't know how to use Insta properly - would welcome advice on this!).
That said, I do dip into IG most days. I don't want a parenting site, been there, done that, but I am always on the hunt for someone to inspire me at my stage in life. I like @Midlifechic, who writes well and blogs very well (though again I can't join in the conversation without sacrificing my much cherished privacy) and I have just discovered a relatively small IGer @backofthewardrobe who is stylish, elegant and just about sharing her outfits ........ but there isn't much for me, sadly.
These threads have led me to watch the usual suspects and I just don't get them. Too, too much consumerism, monetising and stealth boasting. Anything that is so envy based and built on passive aggressive hashtags #must have #womensupportingwomen etc leave me cold.
I guess most of all, I don't like the fan girl nature of it all. It doesn't promote conversation, only adulation and woe beside anyone who dissents!
I don't subscribe to the don't like, don't follow advice. Why not challenge these things - as a parent I feel that we are watching an adult form of the pressures IG puts on our young adults.
I don't like it when these threads become too personal (guilty myself once or twice) but I do think they are valuable at challenging these strange, strange place that is the internet.

..... and, I would never go on a forum #workshitout - way too crass and negative for me. It has already defined (negatively) the course of the campaign.

Thanks for the reply, @KatFarmer, I'm still a little unconvinced by the Avon biker jacket, but looking at their website I can't really see you in anything else either! It just felt like a bit of a discongruous hook up compared to some of the other brands you work with so I suppose it felt like the brand attaching itself to you because of your reach rather than a genuinely good fit for both parties.

Avon biker jacket! Hmm sorry, DMBL40 but I also agree. Some brands you work with make me ponder if you’re not being selective enough, in that they are not in keeping with your previous purchases/styles.

But that might be because of gleam? Do you have to promote this stuff?

@facebookatemybrain and @bucktoothed I was happy to partner with Avon as I do have a real emotional attachment to the brand from growing up and the biker (as well as a lot of the jewellery) i would be happy to wear.

But I appreciate that any justification I make probably isn’t going to convince!!

I also hope you understand that my business relationship with Gleam is obviously personal but suffice to say, I have full control over who I do and don’t partner with!

Kat, I don't think you would be classed as someone who shows their kids often on insta, its more the parenting bloggers that do that.

But please insta Ginny! She's cute.

Thank you. Only wanted to know if you have a choice, and you do. I wondered, as I see more and more brands on your blog thay I would think were quite removed from your style. Ted Baker being another example.

I love Ted Baker, the quality is absolutely fantastic. Its a little pricey at times, but definitely worth the investment. See, I would say Ted Baker is far more aligned with Kat's normal style, whereas I just didn't 'feel' that with the Avon biker. Horses for courses I suppose!

KatFarmer I have followed you for years on Insta and your blog and I do think that you haven't really changed that much since you started blogging and you are bloody funny and do make me laugh each day. You put a lot of time and effort into your regular blog posts too so it's good that you are with Gleam and earning money from it. Do I sound like a "fan girl". I do don't I haha

Is anyone else struck by the avaricious and relentless consumerism?

Nothing seems to be given any time to be appreciated and become a treasured belonging or the origin of the stuff given any consideration. Just strikes me as very, very grabby.

Certain bloggers seem to have that ‘collecting trait’ like a female version of the typically male train spotting/ dungeons and dragons figures thing. It is just that clothes and accessories are their particular special interest and it is done to the nth degree.

You can almost feel their need to ‘collect the set’ . It is quite manic.

Yes frankiewears, it's exhausting isn't it! If it's a short term thing for instas, I realise it's probably even shorter term for viewers. I think these threads show people's boredom and frustration with the greed and narcissism that emanates from Instagram - we want #ad but once we get it, we realise that instas are being sent box after box of crap to sell to us every day and it's a bit sickening.

AGRee with the comments about all the consumerism and items never becoming treasured. I remember one blogger a couple of year a ago who recommended some boots, she said they were the perfect winter boots that she had been looking for for ages and they were so perfect they would go with everything, she would never tire of wearing them etc. On her daily outfits posts on Instagram, I saw her wear them 4 times that winter and never again. They completely disappeared after that. She bought them with her own money so it wasn’t the gift thing. It’s so disposable and I’m really tiring of it. It’s not a message that we should be giving, especially to our kids. The boots were £100 too so not cheap.

I now see mod is jetting off on a paid holiday to St Lucia with eldest 2dd and sister...ffs I'm a hard working hcp and never get breaks like this!
obviously need to reconsider my career prospects, as recent pay award ain't going to pay for this kind of holiday

Oh well I hope they have a nice time.
Wouldn’t it be nice if these companies gave a holiday to an ordinary family.
But rich people just get all the breaks.
Thoroughly depressed with Instagram. Deleting.
I did a home visit to a family of four in the summer who live in the same room. Mum dad and 15yo boy and his little sister. Both parents work.
Life is depressing.
Have a fab time MOD.

Two ridiculously expensive #ad holidays in as many months. I think that’s the point when the people who started following MOD years ago when she was a relatable midwife and mum decide to unfollow.

That's really sad, @alliealoop, that poor family. I don't think MOD could do much more in terms of transparency than she did though, she has even said what the deal is in terms of how many posts she is committed to and I don't blame her for a touch of defensiveness because she knows she is likely to get a bit of criticism for another holiday so close to the last one. Destinology holidays though! Do these advertising promotions work for them? I mean, I now have some awareness of their existence, but would I book through them? I really don't think I would. I think I am probably less likely to if I am honest.

But if she has tagged it as an ad what’s the problem?

Yes, it’s probably not great timing having just had one paid for holiday. But still, this thread is about transparency and she is being transparent.

Yes! Join the instamums 2 thread if you just want to discuss being disappointed generally, not just about transparency! 😀👍🏻

I agree she couldn’t be any more transparent about it so I don’t see any issues:

Whether she’s still relatable to her original followers is down to individuals.

V jealous - St Lucia is amazing- I would love Solti escape for some sun!

Can someone link to the new Instamums thread please?

Here you go @theladylovescupcakes

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i.../3200881-instamums-2

Thanks @PavlovaPrincess

I'm conflicted about Candice Braithewaite. OTOH she says it how it is and actually has good things to say but OTOH she seems to get gifts every day and everything is 'amazing'. She does seem grateful though and there was a fairly luxury item that she said she would donate somewhere as it felt too good for her. Was a bit disappointed though when she was asking bout specific baby products and tagging the companies as it just looked like grifting for a freebie.

Getting paid to travel is my dream job so yes I am a tad jealous of MOD for once. Hope she has a great time.

Was wondering why FOD was doing his MH awareness stories, I thought ooh he's finally taken on board that not every post should be about the twins, until I realized it was the buildup to a bit of his book promotion! Has anyone ever read any of the Insta books? Candice is now writing one apparently too.

I haven’t read any of the Insta books. They seem focused on the new mum market which I’m past now. When I was a new first time mum though I may well have purchased one, especially one written by a midwife if I thought it would help make mothering easier and my baby sleep!