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

Perhaps there should be a support group for those of us who have been influenced into buying tat?

Re: Chewton Glen etc there are certain places I would actively avoid as they are often full of influencers!

I wonder if the Marks and Spencer’s shoes will be a bit like the Zoella advent calendar, last year. You’d hope adults would be less quick to forgive being sold inferior goods though.

I would disagree with Anna Hart stating that we follow for their expertise. I do think they build trust with their audience but if you break it, you may never get it back.

Just watched her story, oh the documentary was a boring snoozefest 😴

I thought it was quite tame towards influencers, the guy from the Asa was a wet flannel.

I wish the CMA and ASA would take Anna Hart to task... her influence is on other influencers with false information, and she needs a reality check.

Delurking on this thread after following for a while as I just heard about a case in Germany (I live there) where Cathy Hummels, a German TV presenter and wife of footballer Mats Hummels is in court on a civil charge relating to non-disclosure on IG. For context she has about 460k followers. It seems the case has been brought by a civil group that is actively seeking out these kind of breaches and giving warnings to posters who break the regulations and bringing civil charges to court.
I can’t find any English language reports to link to but just thought it might be interesting for this thread. I remember some discussion earlier in the thread about how it works in other countries.

That’s impressive @welshcake77 - go the Germans It’ll be interesting to see if this inspires an EU wide approach, because this adhoc method isn’t working.

Very interesting! I found an English language link but unsurprisingly, given the source, not a lot of meat on the bones

www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/759332/bayern-munich-mat-hummels-wife-instagram-trial-illegal-court

wouldyoulikeabagwiththat

I find the comment from the judge interesting...implying followers should expect these accounts to be commercial and questioning whether there really is any duplicity...

Not interesting actually but maybe surprising is a better word

I think from what I have read before on the German legal perspective is that the judge is actually saying that it is misleading for influencers to claim that their activities on instagram are not all commercially driven. Even if their posts feature products that they bought themselves, it is done from the perspective of promotion in some shape or form so it is all advertising. The judge is questioning whether an influencer can claim that they tag items “because their followers want to know where they are from” or really because they either have, or want to have, a commercial relationship with the brand, ie it’s an ad. I think this is why German influencers now mark every single post as advertising now. That was my reading of it anyway. As I said, the Star doesn’t go into the discussion in any meaningful way!

Oh that certainly makes more sense @wouldyoulikeabagwiththat
I had noticed all the German accounts I follow seem to have advertisement written at the start.

For me the shady Instagram/YouTube Influencers are the new MLM bots. They are selling an unattainable (to the majoirty) dream using smoke and mirrors. "It's easy to make money doing this, just look at all the holidays/clothes/trips out we can afford" but they fail to disclose those things were gifted which is a double whammy. It's not attainable to most and most don't get them given on a plate. It makes people feel inadequate that they can't afford it without realising the influencer didn't have to pay for it in the first place either. MLMs are dying on their arse here (thank goodness) as people get wise to the tactics but young mums still want ways to stay home and earn money. Becoming an Influencer seems to have slotted right in the space left by MLMs to dangle that carrot of time and financial freedom but it's still bollocks.

Absolutely agree VTechnophobe, and wouldyoulikeabagwiththat the German judge is spot on imo. Even for posts that are not ads on the face of it, they are designed to attract followers/drive traffic to the account for the posts that are ads (their bread and butter). Would love to see a ruling like that in the UK. Even the very few I still follow are still dragging their heels on this - for instance Lucy Williams, who I had thought was very professional and great at what she does, has just been putting "*gifted items" on posts without specifying which, and not writing #ad. Disappointing.

As an aside, I'm finding this obsession with pampas grass that the interior accounts suddenly have quite funny.

I just viewed an interesting insta-story by Erica Davies on the Panorama doc which I admit I haven't seen. Her point was that transparency is important but should be completely consistent across all platforms including print media. It's a really interesting point to consider. I think there is a major difference with print media in that there is almost always a cover price and an expectation that you are in a commercial relationship with whatever the media is (newspaper, magazine, whatever) and they will be in a commercial relationship with advertisers. There is a difference in my view between that and influencers who set themselves up as your mate. And while she mentions how many instagrammars create carefully curated content, the ultimate objective of many IS to flog stuff - otherwise they wouldn't be called influencers. But I do accept that I might be wrong about all of this.

But a magazine is basically a big long advert. You know the top five lipsticks or whatever are dependent on who has paid for the most advertising. Insta started as hobby and then monetised its platform so the "trusted friend" began to overtly or covertly sell you stuff.

I've not seen the ED thing but will have a look.

It’s a flawed argument. Does anyone really believe a magazine travel writer has paid for the holiday out of their own money? Or a restaurant critic has forked out to review a restaurant? No. But plenty of influencers are happy to try to pass off a gifted villa stay as a lovely family holiday, or a trip to pizza express as a nice treat for the kids, or a trip to the cinema to see the latest release as a great day out. I can kind of see the argument that we don’t see all the wheeling and dealing that goes on when magazines lay out the latest stuff in a fashion spread (ie the link to paid ads by the same brands) but two wrongs don’t make a right. The Panorama programme did talk to an influencer who is trying to create interesting content - the eating disorders girl was doing just that. There is a huge amount of snobbery involved in passing judgement on the reality stars but although the brands they promote may be different, the tactics used are exactly the same.

There's all manner of bs going on. How many times in the last 2 week's have I seen 'this is gifted so therefore I have to #ad sofi...'. Oh well woe is you. Ffs. Get a grip. Stop trying to muddy the waters with the #ad. Just be honest and transparent or is that unacceptable to you? And if it is how does that make you feel?

I'm sick of the lot of them. I have zero sympathy. And whilst the last thing I'd ever want is for anyone to lose their job or source of income I cannot wait for the whole house of cards to collapse and for them all to get proper jobs!

@theharlotletter and @WoahThereMama
thats a shame you didn’t like your chambers and beau jewellery. Some of the designs are bloody awful but I like the couple of bits I have. I am totally second guessing myself now tho; ordinarily I would have said I’m not easily influenced but after seeing all the ADs for the jewellery I’m beginning to think differently

Ps however if you are looking for a new home for your jewellery let me know!! X

I followed a London based Instagram account where the instagrammer had an online shop. I ordered a blouse I liked off it but when it arrived I could see it was nothing like the picture and was obviously from aliexpress. - I feel like a right fool - most of her stuff is just aliexpress with a huge profit margin!

Confused. CH been marking her stuff as press samples. Fine (ish)

But new candle from Jo Malone post and not marked anything except a thank you for my candle. This should be Gifted at least?

Just been looking up a couple of instagrammers that popped into my head this morning but both seem to have disappeared, Cash Carraway and Natasha 'I'm just a girl sitting on some steps Bailie, have they got new names or stepped away from ig completely?

The Jo Malone candle is an advert - Looks like they sent out personalised candles to people. I’m sure we will see a few of those today....CMA says thanking the brand is not enough but you can’t really get away with calling a personalised candle a press sample so I guess that’s why it hadn’t been scooped up into that category.

There is a separate thread on Cash Carraway. She was posting on it yesterday. She’s left Instagram. No idea on the other one.

Rock My Style are writing about the failure of The Pool and online media today. She kind of admits that everything they feature is sponsored/an ad which is somehow...disappointing. She suggests subscriptions, ie, online magazines. It's more transparent but its not exactly innovative.

I read the RMS feature and while I fully agree no one should work for scented candles I cannot help but think that some influencers are putting themselves in this position.

Enjoy your scented candle in private if it’s a gift but if you put in on your account then make sure the brands pays you and tag it properly. This way you are not working for a scented candle or lipstick.

I’m only using a scented candle as an example here because that’s the example given by RMS. Other luxury items are available.

The press sample thing...

If you've been sent something to test and do that and then blog about it and share that on Instagram. Then yes that's a sample.

If you receive it and post a photo to say it's gorgeous and pretty but it's clearly not been tested that's an ad.