Bloggers and Brands 3

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

New thread I hope.

Car companies have been sponsoring events for exposure PR for eons though. NYFW is, I think still, is completely sponsored by Mercedes Benz. I've been to plenty of events where a car brand offered shuttle services in their latest models just for the exposure PR, their name plastered on everything, and that is surprisingly effective.

Interesting about FDF, but it does raise some points. I only know her by name, but isn't' she quite well off pre/without the blog? It leaves me wondering if those that don't have that type of privilege to begin with and predominantly get paid in freebies and underpaid elsewhere (seeing as there have been some noted complaints about how little companies actually pay out) that selling off things is just not part of the standard business model of a blogger now? I know when I'm browsing through eBay it's quite easy to spot the blogger freebies for sale, whether they do it publicly or not, it appears like it's a core part of their economy.

Her husband's family are very wealthy (car dealers) and her family were OK.

But from her descriptions they weren't millionaires or anything as it was all "I bought this at Bicester with a paycheck at 17".

She's very very wealthy now though. They sold their last house for over 1 mill.

(Sorry, just realised I strayed into gossip there!)

I get that botemp, and I’m sure it is part of their economy. But it really gets me to see a blogger raving about how much they love an item and then just selling it. It makes a mockery of then everything that they say they love. Like the boy who called wolf. How do I know they genuinely like or rate any item? How can I believe them when they say things are great quality or how much they love something when I’ve seen them gush about something else and then sell it straight away.

I get that paint, to me it appears ungrateful and a touch opportunistic in traditional gifting etiquette but considering how much they're sent you do have to consider their mindset. How can someone announce at least 10 favourites on a monthly basis? I don't think I'd make it to ten genuine favourites in a year. Like 'gift' in blogger vernacular it's something completely different. Same goes for 'love'. If you were to constantly be receiving new stuff on the daily things aren't experienced with the same sense of value and with the sense of attachment to items, the fact that they haven't paid for it influences that too. Their assessment of worth just isn't authentic. They simulate the same type of rushes as with normal special purchases (and I oft suspect many would/are highly functional shopping addicts) but it's all an imitation in the end.

Good point botemp and probably exactly why I should give up reading blogs!

I've just search Hill & Friends into eBay search and there's quite a few new ones for sale. One even has 'Blogger's Own' in the title. The bags aren't cheap and that's one brand imo that definitely cheapened itself by sending their product to the world and its wife on Insta.

I remember years ago that Liberty London Girl wrote a post about selling things on eBay. I tried searching for the post but I can’t find it now. My memory of it is that she addressed the issue in a very head-on and transparent way. And it was more along the lines of “I have periodic clear outs, I don’t sell samples or things that haven’t already been in shops”.

I also remember her absolutely schooling The Londoner about a shady hotel review where TL implied she had paid for the trip and LLG took her to task because it was a press trip that she had been offered. This was back in 2012/13 so bloggers misleading readers about freebies has been going on for ages!

MOD is now promoting Dorset Cereal / sitting together for breakfast. Some complaining in her comments about too many paid partnerships.

Do you think Dorset Cereal will actually be expecting a spike in sales from this or is it just building brand awareness?

I saw the complaints now in the comments too. Dorset cereals are really bad, they are so calorific and full of sugars.

Far play though, we now know it's paid for and sponsored content. So I now know it's a challenge and not just isn't this lovely cereal.

I've said before that if I was offered lovely holidays, clothes, camera equipment. for a discount or entirely free I'd find it hard to turn down, as I imagine M/FoD probably feel.

They #ad for Barbour, Dorset cereal, Disney, Stokke, Martinhal, M+S, Renault and that's off the top of my head!

Good work if you can get it

Bloody hell, paid to go on holiday...sign me up and I will answer any questions with the greatest transparency I have about 50 followers on IG.

I love the way some IGers get in a major strop about how hard they are working 'creating content' and then the followers aren't prepared to support them financially I had a good laugh when one mum who is mad about travelling went on this rant saying that they are travelling to 'create content for the viewer' and this was taking so much time away from their children, so she wanted 2000 followers to sign up to Patreon so that they could continue travelling to create content. It's almost as if some of them lose sight of what/why they actually started.

I don't blame them for taking the paid partnerships and they are making it clear they are paid.

I just think they need to be careful as people are obviously starting to get a bit pissed off that there are so many ads. It opens up the uncomfortable using yours kids for money debate and I'm pretty sure no parent ever wants people to think that about them.

The comments on MOD's cereal ad are bizarre: loads of comments about the high chairs, loads of comments about all the ads, and a handful of comments about the cereal.

I suspect the timing of that ad, after a week in Florida, was seriously miscalculated. It looks like at least one negative comment has been removed, but otherwise I think MOD handled the criticism in a very even handed way.

When a post is clearly disclosed as a business transaction at best I think 'good for them', at worst I scroll on. When a post appears to have undisclosed product placement I have all sorts of uncharitable thoughts about morals, ethical behaviour and DO THEY THINK I'M A FOOL??

The comments on the cereal post are brilliant. 'Do you pay for ANYTHING?'

MOD's replies seem to have softened compared to previous approach.

I'd be genuinely interested in the return companies see when advertising like this on Insta. I wonder how many of MOD/FOD's followers have actually gone out and bought a box of that cereal as a direct result of that ad?

It seems like many of the bloggers who are suddenly advertising products that are glaringly out of kilter with their 'brand' are either with Gleam or Independent Talent. I wonder if their arrangements with these agencies mean they are required to plug a certain number of products per month or whatever? I guess it's the agencies going out and getting the business on their behalf. It surely won't be long until it starts to backfire. I'm unfollowing lots of accounts when they are straying miles away from the original style.

@BunTHoven I think it is already starting to backfire, albeit in a fairly subtle way. There are still the naive and uneducated cries of 'Scroll past / unfollow if you don't like it, hun!!!', but this argument is getting weaker by the day. I think that's why we're starting to see a slight change in attitude from some bloggers. Insta is becoming slightly less of an echo chamber.

I don't mind properly disclosed paid / sponsored content where the blogger is producing good content and saying something interesting or insightful about the product. It can actually really helpful to get a "blogger look" at something I'm thinking of buying because they usually have lots of photos of it.
But lots of bloggers have now become slaves to content. The reviews are really superficial, either a blatant rehashing of a press release and posts that have been made by 30 other bloggers or a series of staged photos and the "review" is a series of extended captions. Lots of them haven't even used the products properly before they review them! And they seem so scared of annoying their corporate sponsors that they won't even mention something that is less-than-positive.

Fair play to MOD who said on her Instagram cerealgate post that calling someone a troll for having a diff view is not fair

I find it useful to see clothing on a blogger, because it gives me an idea of how it might look on me, or how I might style it. The same goes for interiors. IG is, after all, primarily a visual medium.

But I can't see myself responding to a cereal post in the same way. I guess it's more about brand awareness and image. A blogger can't tell you if you'll like eating the cereal, but your perception of the brand will change. Maybe if you want to #bemoreMOD you'll buy it!

When a post is clearly disclosed as a business transaction at best I think 'good for them', at worst I scroll on. When a post appears to have undisclosed product placement I have all sorts of uncharitable thoughts about morals, ethical behaviour and DO THEY THINK I'M A FOOL

^^ Same

On this note, by some miracle, DLAM appears to have discovered the Paid Partnership button for her deodorant advert yet for some reason she has forgotten it exists again on the M&S post which follows immediately after. She is always leaving supportive comments on other blogger's promotional posts, and yet she persists in being probably the least transparent and blatantly commercial blogger out there. She's not really a team player is she?

Anneli Bush has updated her Shop - some brand new or worn once items from Next, a few brand new. shoes from LK Bennett and brand new items from Mint Velvet. All gifted no doubt, couldn’t see MV being somewhere she shops.

I'm all for transparency but it's interesting that these Mum and style bloggers are being given such a hard time whereas the insta accounts of all the made in Chelsea people (all loaded I hasten to add) are FULL of ads not even tagged as ad or anything. I guess they have a young fan base and are getting away with it easier but it does seem as if there should be rules for everyone to follow, not just those who have a more discerning audience.

Who is DLAM?

Well, I don’t follow the Made in Chelsea people so know nothing about them!