Instagrammers and Influencers

[scotx]

New thread to follow on from this one

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3462129-Can-we-chat-about-fashion-Instagrammers-influencers?msgid=84590932

@DillyDilly I know the necklaces you mean and that would have been really annoying given all the people wearing them that were posted seem to be wearing them on holiday etc!

@theharoltletter - I fell into the chambers & beau trap too about 2 yrs ago. I think back then it was only DMBL40 and maybe one or two others who wore it (before I copped on to the fact that it was gifted). The quality is shite. Insta is overrun now with bloggers and C-listers wearing it. Far too expensive for the quality but they’ve all received it as a gift.

I bought some Isabel Marant boots once after seeing them on Wardrobe Icons and they fell apart in days - the flat heel just disintegrated, I felt really stupid for some reason as they’d made them sound like this long lasting investment item they’d personally recommended (I’m not heavy on shoes normally, I’ve had some cheaper ones for years!). Anyway, more fool me.

Also - they used to do those ‘meet us at this fabulous shopping event’ thing but now it’s all ‘watch us all celebrate how wonderful we all are at parties’ and buy this stuff online that we’re getting free

I think it can backfire as I’d feel stupid to pay to go somewhere like Chewton Glen now!

Those Fran shoes look so different on the M&S website than they do on her page. I wonder how many were in the limited edition run? I feel like M&S have pitted each of the women who designed the shoes against each other by releasing them on different dates and in unknown but limited runs. Now that the first have sold out it feels like the pressure is on to make sure all of them do. SMS is already trailing hers and people are talking about setting alarms. Crazy.

I know what you mean would. DLAM’s Pom Pom ones sold out in 2-3 days I think. Fran’s sold out in a few hours and before breakfast I’d feel a bit bad for any of the rest of them if they have their designs still in stock after a week or so even if it’s down to M&S getting a larger stock in next time.

I notice on insta that some people stated that they set their alarms for 3/4am to buy the Fran shoes. Madness.

I wonder if any 'bad' reviews of the different M&S shoes will be allowed? And of course all the other influencers are heavily promoting the shoes designed by their 'good friends'. It's all so cliquey and repetitive. Recently dumped a load of interior accounts as well (including some I really loved at first). Only so many free holidays/weekends away I can handle in addition to all the high value items they already get. Not sure who'll be left on my Insta before long!

De-lurking to say the IG-er's designed M&S shoes are all hideous. I really do question the size of the production run if they're all selling out so ridiculously quickly.

Re. the comment about Fran's shoes looking different on her page to the M&S website, I imagine she's got a pair of those made especially for press which are often in made in a small limited run once the prototype has been signed off. These are often a little different/superior to those that end up en masse for sale.

Also, I"m really enjoying reading this thread, so thank you to all who have contributed to it. Some of you have voiced what I'm thought for quite a few years now and why I unfollowed many IG accounts and blogs quite some time ago.

Templehead there are bad reviews for DLAM’s Pom Pom slides on the M&S website. Mainly that they’re uncomfortable/bad fit and that the quality didn’t match the price.

People are being played like fiddles by M&S and yet anyone who criticises them on the fashion lift page are being told to shut up and be kind, hilarious!

Oh god, I see what you mean. Brutal.

Would there’s 15 reviews and all of them pretty much have the same criticism

The M&S PR team are so lazy as well. Nearly 300 messages on their page and none of them replied to. This whole launch looks like a bit of an own goal.

I agree that the PR team should confirm or not if they will be getting more stock to the 100s of people that are asking them. Even if it’s just to say ‘no’ or ‘it’s something we’re looking in to’.

I see Anna Harte has given her pronouncement on the panorama doc

Who is Anna Harte?

She runs an influencer agency, and is also an influencer herself. She believes the CMA have issued their guidelines to stop consumers moaning so much, that ASA would benefit from discussing how affiliate marketing works with influencers such as her, that ASA find consumer complaints hilarious, and that influencers should follow the rules and be transparent but not worry if they don't, because the likelihood of enforcement action being taken is minimal anyway.

Anna Harte is owner of One Roof Social, not exactly certain what they do, works with brands on SM campaigns. She considers herself an expert on ethics around brands and influencers but not sure what her actual credentials are.

She also posted here last year on a thread about influencers and lack of transparency and warned us all that she was coming into the MM offices and would be given posters to contact details!!!!!

Should have read .. would be given posters contact details...

Given posters' contact details? Oh dear me. If she doesn't even grasp the most rudimentary data protection/GDPR rules then how does she expect to be taken seriously as a professional?

Anyway, going back to the point made by @ visitorthedog I also feel very disillusioned by the overly sugary, faux insta friendships events. Last Autumn a group of them went for a sleepover at a country House hotel, everyone over egging the pudding as to what great friends they all are. But when I had a think about it several of them couldn't have known each other at all, or at least not for very long.

Then there were the heavily staged photos of them all posing on the staircase, each one trying to look as kooky as possible. It's just all so superficial to me.

@ whoatheremama they really were shoddy quality weren't they? I checked and the 'silver' chain wasn't even sterling silver! As I was paying £60+ I had assumed it would be real bloody silver. Never again.

Ba haha so Anna says no one would talk to Panarama be a they were worried about being depicted as “money grabbing knob heads”. Erm, I wonder why? 😂

She also complains that they only spoke to celebrities but influencers are different. We follow them because of their expertise apparently.

For someone so confident that she’s right all the time, she very defensive!

Actually, I thought the program was interesting and that the influencers they did talk to were trying to negotiate it the best they could. This was especially true of the eating disorder person.

Gleam was interesting too, the experts who are well versed in the guidelines, except they weren’t.

I can see why the ASA isn’t feared, they were pathetic.

Yes I’ve noticed that influences are very keen to distance themselves from reality stars - as if they are doing anything different! So snobby. I thought Zara whatsername came across really well actually, and the eating disorder girl too. Gleam came across as slippery. The ASA guy sounded feeble, his grasp on the issues poor.