Bloggers and Brands 3

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

New thread I hope.

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

Wren - exactly how I feel. They are salespeople now, not ordinary folk sharing tips, experiences and recommendations.

[Paintbox]

Yes I can see that elspeth, but it doesn’t sit right with me at all

[MaryPoppinsStoleMyHandbag]

I've followed these threads with interest and it's great to see that some insta-bloggers have clearly taken the feedback on board by declaring things as ad or gift when they didn't before (plus I was surprised at just how many things were gifted to some as a result!) though I'm starting to feel now that some bloggers just can't win no matter what they do. MOD is now a lot more transparent but I get the sense that for some it's still not enough - almost an implication that they have to declare just how much discount they received or how much money they got for a paid partnership which is no one else's business really. I wouldn't declare my salary to any random stranger that asked so why should she? (Just using MOD as an example).

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

I think those are fair points MaryPoppins but I don't feel that anyone has asked them to be anything other than transparent. As I said before, I absolutely don't need to know anything other than the nature of the agreement so, as a reader, I am not being misled into a misunderstanding that they are recommending that they themselves have paid for. I would happily settle for something along the lines of; #gift - given with no agreement in place, #paid for........ - agreement in place......... etc....

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

I am also interested to know if the click throughs on places like The Pool are also affiliates and monetised. I know some newspapers etc do say that they may earn a commission but I have often wondered about other links. Fine if they are, but, again, it's all about the transparency.

[Ithasbeenalongtime]

Hi @marypoppins, I've said before I don't feel the need to know the extent, just the existence of a commercial element, but I think the discussion about whether they should disclose more is a valid one, and I am glad we are having it on this thread, because this form of promotion is new to both followers and influencers so its naturally going to evolve. Other people are likely to have a different take on it to me, and its good to hear other people's opinions on the same issue.

When DMBL did her holiday post, I did question how much the discount was but this was really because the issue over whether she was promoting the holiday company/hotels or not was drip fed onto her feed. If she had simply said upfront it was a paid partnership or an #ad, as MOD has done on her recent trip, I don't think I would have been wondering how "small" a "small press discount" actually was. The more transparent people are about the existence of the commercial relationship, I think the less likely people are to wonder about the £££ value of that relationship.

[Ollycat]

Well ED and Stylememos both have #ad in their stories at LFW.

CLTS and the coat I really don’t see as something to get her up about- she’s always said the Next thing is a paid partnership, she was styling a wedding and said at the time the coat was too big (as you can see from the pics as well) - Chloe comes over as a genuinely nice person who loves clothes, her family and her cats - yes I may be naive but I don’t think she’s a business in the same way as some others.

[Ithasbeenalongtime]

I've just seen a comment from an interiors blogger I follow (or did, won't be for too much longer) - Lisa Dawson - on one of CLTS's post saying "for info there are no rules that you have to say its a gift. The ASA Guidelines suggest you can if you like but its not a rule. And also, for info, NOTHING a blogger receives is ever actually a gift. Its a business collaboration. The blogger produces content on behalf of the brand. It's hard work and takes time. Its easy to be critical. But no, you don't need to put gift on your feed. I don't. But I can tell you now that small businesses I support by doing swipe up links and chat about their companies gain 100x more than I do".

While I think we can agree that nothing is ever a gift, gifts are covered by general consumer rules and not just ASA rules and disclosure of gifting is also a question of ethics and honest business practices, IMO.

Also, it's not an issue of the followers that she doesn't agree decent commercial terms with her brands. If her brands are benefiting from the extent she says then she should be negotiating a better deal with them than a free candle or whatever. The bloggers need to get more commercially savvy with the brands, not try to keep their followers in the dark - we are the ones paying with our eyeballs.

I really felt interiors blogging was less tainted by this issue than fashion and fitness, I'm now having my eyes opened again that it's prevalent everywhere in Instagram. Urgh.

[MadameGrizzly]

I've been following along and reading every thread, too. The absolute worst for disclosure is DLAM. This year I think once she has used 'paid partnership' and #ad, yet every post appears to have product placement in it. She is also the queen of 'can someone recommend a white good/holiday/whatever' grifting.

I'm also surprised to see Stylememo disclose as she previously hasn't, though I note ED has used #ad on the Triumph post and Stylememo hasn't.

I'll need to unfollow Lisa Dawson too as her attitude in that comment stinks. I suppose that means Dee Campling never discloses either. Similarly, I'm side eyeing RVK Loves who travels and receives new products constantly, yet never uses #ad.

How depressing it all is. And did anyone see the number of gifts Fashionfoiegras received from brands on Valentine's Day? It was obscene.

[MaryPoppinsStoleMyHandbag]

That's really disappointing from Lisa Dawson.

[Ollycat]

I'm also surprised to see Stylememo disclose as she previously hasn't, though I note ED has used #ad on the Triumph post and Stylememo hasn't.

In her defence she has #togetgerwuthtriump #ad and yesterday had #grendons #ad

She’s never mentioned ads before so is obv making changes. (As a side note she always looks fabulous!)

[MadameGrizzly]

I genuinely can't see #ad on the Triumph post. (I'm going cross eyed looking!) but I can see it on the Grenson shoe post.

I agree she is very stylish - maybe we all could be if our wardrobes were predominantly #gifted?

[Ollycat]

Sorry it was on her stories the #ad.

[Paintbox]

Ollycat, I do see what you mean about clts. But for me, the reason I feel the coat thing is not on, is because of the argument running through all these 3 threads. That wearing something that you are given or paid to wear, (even if disclosed as such) does give the message to the readers that they “love the item”, “would buy it themselves”, “only partner with a brand they love” and all those other lines we have heard so many times as excuses for not disclosing. And then to sell it on for profit? It makes everything they said about loving the item absolute and complete rubbish and turns the whole thing into a cash cow. If this is happening then surely the bloggers can
Choose the most expensive item which is likely to sell on well and then convince us that they “love it”. We then see it for sale the next week.

[ohbitchplease]

I agree that DLAM is the absolute queen of non-disclosure. She couldn't be less transparent if she tried.

[Ollycat]

Paintbox I guess maybe? Maybe I’m just looking through my rose tinted specs (also don’t think she’s short a bob or two to need to be selling on depop).

[Ollycat]

DLAM I’ve decided is all gifted / ad / sponsored - she has a photographer (don’t quite get that). Agree she didn’t promote her holiday particularly effectively.

[Paintbox]

On a different note, instagram stories has disappeared from the top of my instagram feed and is only
Now visible when clicking on each persons page. Anyone else or has something gone wrong with my account?

[Ollycat]

Mine are all still at the top - sorry

[Paintbox]

Weird! Don’t know what’s happened to mine

[ElspethFlashman]

I was watching a FleurdeForce video last night where she was clearing out her (vast) handbag collection and wanted to sell some. Both at the top of the video and at the end she said "if I've been gifted the item 100% of the sale will go to charity, if I've bought it myself 20% will". And then throughout the video she told us whether an item had been gifted or not (2 Hill & Friends bags I notice, and about 4 gifted from Aspinal)

It actually set a very chatty tone. I don't know why people don't see that it can actually create a feeling of intimacy to let your followers see it all.

[Paintbox]

thats really nice to hear and very encouraging elspeth.

[whyhastherumgone]

That's really encouraging about FDF, I've long been suspicious of her Favourites videos - some of them just seem like she's just opened a PO Box delivery while others feel a bit more genuine - but I'm pleased to hear she's addressed this in her handbag clear out vid.

Favourites videos bother me anyway actually, half the time they show a brand new never been used product as a 'favourite' , I think I would find it far more genuine if it actually looked like they'd tried it once or twice!

[PNGirl]

Can anyone shed light on why Audi took a load of fashion bloggers to the Baftas? Nope, me neither.

I get filling seats but... A car company?