Can we chat about fashion Instagrammers/influencers..

[Cherrypie32]

..because I don’t have anyone in real life to carp about it to. So, I follow a few, am addicted to the stories/feeds of some but don’t always know why. The ‘high end’ ones, The Frugality, Dress Like A Mum, Emma Hill etc pop up but quite designer and high end for me. I like the ramblings of Does My Bum but I’m nothing like her body shape so don’t wear her clothes. There are a few more ‘high street’ ones I follow, Steal My Style, What Kathy Did, Forty not Frumpy and more but they tend to be repetitive. Is this because they are so heavily sponsored to flog something? At the moment they are all banging on bout All Saints leather bikers and maxi skirts. And they all copy each other so there’s not much new to look at. There are a few I follow with nowhere near the amount of followers that seem more creative and have different body shapes so I presume that they have more liberty to do this as aren’t under afflilate deals.
I don’t need advice to ‘unfollow’, I enjoy looking at it all, just interested in how it all works really.

[MaryPoppinjay]

MOD has shouted down a comment calling her out on not using AD on her recent post. However if she has tagged WestElm she has def worked with them so even if she bought stuff should be disclosing. So obvs not ‘well aware how to disclose such a post’.

[Popcorninapot]

I don't disagree with any of that @MaryPoppinjay . I am very late to Instagram so have always seen it as a commercial media. I guess the comments of 'oh look at all the free stuff they get, it's obscene" detract from the argument a bit. It's not free, it's a commercial transaction, whether it's accounted for properly or not.

[PleaseDoNotBend]

Yeah I saw that too, nice use of a policeman emoji as well to mock and scare off anyone else who dares to put their head over the parapet and ask a question. Maybe she forgot that she did an AD with West Elm 4 months ago.

[PleaseDoNotBend]

I think people are saying that the amount of gifted not previously disclosed is obscene (ie the extent of the deception), not that gifting is obscene in itself.

[Popcorninapot]

@PleaseDoNotBend Fair enough. It's actually their own fault for using 'gifted'. Which was obviously intentional to detract from the fact it's bog standard advertising. But now has the affect of making it look like they constantly get given free stuff. Hard to argue that things are gifts and also that you work so hard on your content.

[MaryPoppinjay]

The policeman is so patronising and aggressive isn’t it! Actually you do need your followers to police you as you are doing a pretty rubbish job of it yourself. Not surprised person calling her out set up blank account - nobody wants a pile of her followers coming down at them - she should be fully aware of this given it happens every time.

[theharlotletter]

I'm okay with an influencer posing in a gifted dress, or posing with a gifted handbag. I get it. But now I'm seeing that not only is the dress gifted, but so is the
#rug
#candle
#lipstick
#print
#sofa
#trainers

Honestly, it's just too much.

[MarshaBradyo]

Emma Hill is so much better at this stuff than MOD

She is clear and understanding

Perhaps there’s a difference between the fashion ones and Instamum ones - the latter just throws it all in, family / children etc, to sell to start with so it is more personal

[Popcorninapot]

I agree on the instamum being different. I follow mainly interiors accounts for ideas and inspiration for my house renovation. I personally am not bothered whether things in these pictures are gifted or not because if the gifting means a better look and more ideas that's great. I've not accepted any collaborations but if a company I liked offered to provide the materials for my bathroom renovation on the understanding I would advertise it for them then fine - that sort of business arrangement is as old as time!

But would be very different if I was using Instagram to follow fellow mums for general bonding about family life, and then to find their entire life was funded by brands.

[AtHomeInFrance]

Guess that means that the kitchen was fully paid for then! I'm sure MOD's kitchen was fully paid for by her given her knowledge of how to disclose a post!
Really unfortunate to jump on someone for being anonymous. I am, because I value my Internet security and would never give up my privacy. Shows a real lack of understanding and petulance.

[AtHomeInFrance]

....... but, what is right? Emma Hill is disclosing her sunglasses as bought, but has worked with the brand previously and MOD says she is not required to declare a previous relationship if she has paid for the item in the post. One of them must be right.

[ChiaraMontague]

What I find disgusting is that the influencers have deliberately misled their followers about the extent of their commercial relationships and the advertising on their grids; not the fact that advertising is happening on Instagram.
I was thinking about the advertising on popular podcasts, it is obvious when something is an advert (even when the adverts are recorded by the podcaster and are similar to the style of the podcast). I don’t mind this advertising at all, it’s clear and I’m free to listen, skip or ignore as I want. It’s not the same as someone pretending to be a consumer.

[MaryPoppinjay]

Do you think we’ll ever MODs or Lisa Dawson’s instagrammable kitchen on their grids ever again?

If they have been gifted/discounted (at levels not available to general public) the small brands won’t be happy their investment isn’t getting much airtime.

[PleaseDoNotBend]

Well this is what the CMA says, and we discussed it earlier in the thread (I admit I found this particular point confusing too) and it was said that bloggers should disclose past deals with a brand even if they bought something separately from them themselves because it may not be truly arms length if they have received previous remuneration for promotional services from the same brand in the recent past, so consumers need to be made aware of this fact. She didn't have to show the sideboard prominently and tag West Elm. So looks like Emma Hill is right.

Be clear about your relationship with a brand or business. If you are including discount codes, competitions or giveaways, or references to your own range of products, don’t assume this is enough to make the relationship clear. Make sure you are transparent and state that the post is a promotion. Past relationships matter too. Even if you don’t have a current relationship with a brand, if there was a past relationship (or you received product loans, gifts and/or other incentives) people need to know about this. Only relationships within a reasonable period need to be declared: anything within the last year is likely to be relevant to followers. If you aren’t transparent about these circumstances, you could be misleading people.

[Totallyscrumptiouspoppet]

Hi can someone tell me how to attach a screenshot please???

[JeanPagett]

I wasn't saying they have a "right" to be pissed off. Just that I can see why these rules have been met with resentment and obfuscation by (some) influencers - clearly they really will have a huge impact on their incomes.

There seem a lot of people on threads like this who very very keen to report infractions.

[MarshaBradyo]

It might not you get a lot of people posting why do you have to do this don’t bother I don’t care

Followers can be very loyal - particularly when they round on someone as below

[Totallyscrumptiouspoppet]

I got a lovely reply I got from mario falcone all I did was comment #ad on his #sp post.
I have a screenshot shot but I don't know how to put it up. Help???

[MarshaBradyo]

And if it does have a big impact that’s fine too, all the influencing by deception was becoming huge

[PleaseDoNotBend]

Oh lol I want to see what Mario had to say. If you are on a browser you can just use the choose file button on the bottom and upload. I don't know how it works on the app.

[Totallyscrumptiouspoppet]

Basically he called me a busy c*#@ (a word for ladies bits)

[Totallyscrumptiouspoppet]

I really want to post it before the thread runs out..... 😣

[PleaseDoNotBend]

Oh!

Ever the consummate professional

[Totallyscrumptiouspoppet]

I want everyone to see the screenshot because he deleted it

[PleaseDoNotBend]

Send it to the CMA. His latest post looks like an AD too and not disclosed.