Bloggers and #ad (Naming bloggers means a ban!)

idunno78

Taylor Noisy Technician wrote: »

I get the point that they are the new form of advertising etc. And the rules for #ad, but sometimes I feel like even though they are being truthful, would they have the same opinion if they had to pay for it. I know my standards for something free would not be near as high if I had to pay for it.

+1. That's a question i would like to think if I was a blogger I'd put at the end of a review - if I had to pay for this would I still like it! Have seen this said once or twice tho by one or two bloggers.

SpillingTheTea

See in my opinion, I do think things like this hotel stay should still fall under the #ad type thing because it is benefit in kind. The blogger in question doesn't have to pay any money to stay here (I can only assume) so that's a 'You scratch our back, we'll scratch yours' situation.
I don't even care that bloggers get these perks because it is essentially their job BUT I do want some transparency.

blairbear

The hotel stay is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen to date on the part of these bloggers! In fairness, I'm fond of that particular girl recently and she does work hard and make the absolute most of her brand, but personalised doggie stockings, expensive jewellery strewn around the suite, dinner they didn't have to pay for, spa treatments; this is totally deceptive. At no point did she say, "this hotel stay is being fully compensated in return for exposure and a review". If this isn't an ad, then what is?!?!

I stayed in Clontarf Castle recently for 220e per night. I had a stunning room but the experience in no way compared to that of another blogger who stayed there a couple of weeks earlier. I was paying for a top of the range room/hotel experience and certainly not getting multiple complementary gifts and free meals in the restaurant. (Satisfying though to know I don't have to go looking for freebies!)

(What I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a blogger to do would be to accept the hotel stay and the perks but to donate the standard 150e or whatever price of the room to a homeless shelter or charity. I hear about young couples sleeping in their cars etc of late because of crippling rents. The bloggers get far more for free than anyone would ever need; maybe this is how those free mini breaks could sit well with followers.)

Disclaimer; I'm not saying these ladies don't already have altruistic pursuits. These lavish hotel visits just seem a bit wasteful on the part of the hotel. You'd swear Liz Taylor and Richard Burton had been reincarnated and presented themselves in Cork to be adored!!

heyjude88

I do feel with this type of advertising that it really puts me off the product. I know myself I wouldn't be booking into that hotel after all that .

For every person who thinks like me , I'm sure there's 5 more who would do whatever these bloggers do. So the hotels and brands are ultimately winning. Shame.

jockeyboard

That bed she got recently was defo 'gifed' too. Why else drive to limerick from dublin and multiple snaps about service etc....

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Taylor Noisy Technician wrote: »

I get the point that they are the new form of advertising etc. And the rules for #ad, but sometimes I feel like even though they are being truthful, would they have the same opinion if they had to pay for it. I know my standards for something free would not be near as high if I had to pay for it.

I'm not a blogger, but I've been given a few items from different places to "just try out" with no guidance on what to say other than "just try them out". This was products from primark, to m2k beaute to image.

I loved some of the primark, hated the fake glam glow stuff, lost the lash serum and adore image. It is what it is. I'd never have bought skin stuff or makeup from pennies before because I like my high end products but I was pleasantly surprised and had my mind opened to their new ranges, I'd never spend that much money on lash serums, not if it grew lashes made of gold, and I was already a fan of image.

I was very open with any reviews or talking about it I did. The way I aw it was,I owe them nothing. If I like it I like it, if I don't they can have it back if they don't like that I didn't like it.

Being given the products wouldn't sway me either way but did get me to try stuff I would never dream of buying myself.

But I agree that watching Snapchat lately is just like one of those really long infomercials

retro:electro

Why would she say it's last minute when it clearly was not?

fi314

Genuine question but I presume brand ambassadors are being paid to promote the product and that AD should be stated when they talk about it.
On a related note, anyone else noticing how increasingly bloggers are teaming up with alcohol companies. I find this quite unethical given the young viewership of most bloggers. There is no mention of drinking in moderation etc...

fi314

Genuine question but I presume brand ambassadors are being paid to promote the product and that AD should be stated when they talk about it.
On a related note, anyone else noticing how increasingly bloggers are teaming up with alcohol companies. I find this quite unethical given the young viewership of most bloggers. There is no mention of drinking in moderation etc...

SB_Part2

fi314 wrote: »

Genuine question but I presume brand ambassadors are being paid to promote the product and that AD should be stated when they talk about it.
On a related note, anyone else noticing how increasingly bloggers are teaming up with alcohol companies. I find this quite unethical given the young viewership of most bloggers. There is no mention of drinking in moderation etc...

I asked ASAI this and they ignored me.

I ask a blogger and brand the same question and got the answer of "It's obviously they are being paid so there's no need to put #AD" which i don't think is right.

idunno78

I can't remember which bloggers it was but they were both brand ambassadors for a product and one had #ad and the other didn't was only in th last week it two. The one that didn't said because she was brand ambassador she wouldn't be using the # so don't know why the other didnhave to use it?

retro:electro

It's the brands falling over themselves to gift her with things while she's there that makes me cringe. Surely she must know that it's not *her* that's important or particularly desirable, it's her following. She's merely a vessel.

Hopeful2016

scarbouro wrote: »

That snapchat story of the blogger in the hotel yesterday was beyond ridiculous. Last minute my eye! I think it makes the hotel look completely stupid, falling over these people like they're God's! As mentioned, no other guest would be given all of that free stuff for booking the room so why is this blogger giving a room tour and showing all these expensive gifts dotted around the suite that the hotel has laid on. It gives a very false impression of the type of stay you're going to get if you choose this hotel. It must be lovely to have all these free stays/products ect. but I don't believe a word of what comes out of their mouths when they never actually shell out a penny for a single thing!

Ive stayed in that hotel last year and can confirm we didn't get any expensive jewellery or personalised stockings or any other freebies. Maybe we should have booked last minute

onthemitch

Hopeful2016 wrote: »

The whole hotel freebies tho are very misleading. It would be nice to actually be able to book a couple of nights in one of these hotels and get treated the same as the blogger who stayed last week but that's not going to happen. The average paying hotel guest, who are keeping these hotels in business, don't get fawned upon the way bloggers do. Obviously the idea of having the blogger stay is to promote the hotel to the blogger's followers in the hope they will come to stay but what the blogger is promoting is a lie. This is not the experience an average guest will have during their stay and that is not transparent or ethical or just a perk. That is misleading and unnecessary. The hotel is lovely so why not just show that, what is he need for personalised stockings and jewellery? They are not part of the normal experience for a guest in the hotel so what is the point of showing them to one's followers?

But isn't this issue, then, with the hotel – or shop, or salon, or whatever it is? Because I agree, it is annoying. I hate the gifting, I think it's really unfair, and akin to false advertising, to essentially show a certain thing or experience that no "average person" will ever be able to buy. But my issue then is with the service / experience provider, really!

Hopeful2016

onthemitch wrote: »

But isn't this issue, then, with the hotel – or shop, or salon, or whatever it is? Because I agree, it is annoying. I hate the gifting, I think it's really unfair, and akin to false advertising, to essentially show a certain thing or experience that no "average person" will ever be able to buy. But my issue then is with the service / experience provider, really!

Well it's both really because the blogger is the one including these extras in the blog or snaps. They have editorial control as such. They could also stipulate that they would prefer the authentic guest experience not the red carpet version. There's no point bleating on about how fab the bubbly in the presidential suite is when that isn't going to be on offer for your followers. If they really are giving honest reviews and are only availing of these stays for the purposes of review for their followers, then maybe a dose of realism is needed and maybe they could actually review the standard rooms because I it's lovely to see the finest suite in the hotel but it tells me nothing about the room I'd actually get if I booked in to the hotel. I'd still have to go to TripAdvisor for that information.

If bloggers are so concerned about their honesty in reviews being questioned then maybe they should think twice about accepting over the top gifts from these businesses.

SB_Part2

I have to agree with onthemitch.

I'm a blogger and I was invited to an open night in a new restaurant where they gave everyone at the table one of every dish to try. The food was uh-mazhing. The portions were huge, the presentation was stunning. I wrote a blog post praising the place, urged everyone to go.

Went back again a few weeks later on my own and what I was given was nothing compared to the first night. Portion size was less than half what I was given, the presentation was gac. Looked like it had just been fired onto the plate. I mailed the restaurant and asked them to explain why the dishes weren't served to the same standard as I received on the open night and they said thanks for the mail, they appreciate the feedback and they passed it onto the kitchen.

Was I to blame here? It wasn't my fault they gave me food that they wouldn't give to regular punters. I updated my blog post saying that when I went back the experience wasn't the same and I haven't been invited to another event by that PR company since.

onthemitch

Hopeful2016 wrote: »

Well it's both really because the blogger is the one including these extras in the blog or snaps. They have editorial control as such. They could also stipulate that they would prefer the authentic guest experience not the red carpet version. There's no point bleating on about how fab the bubbly in the presidential suite is when that isn't going to be on offer for your followers. If they really are giving honest reviews and are only availing of these stays for the purposes of review for their followers, then maybe a dose of realism is needed and maybe they could actually review the standard rooms because I it's lovely to see the finest suite in the hotel but it tells me nothing about the room I'd actually get if I booked in to the hotel. I'd still have to go to TripAdvisor for that information.

If bloggers are so concerned about their honesty in reviews being questioned then maybe they should think twice about accepting over the top gifts from these businesses.

I totally take your point but... playing devil's advocate here slightly... do you think bloggers really ARE concerned about their honesty? I mean, the super glitzy hotel stays you're talking about aren't given to the average beauty / fashion blogger who really needs her audience to believe she's telling the truth – they're given to well established bloggers who, like it or loathe it, have a massive audience and/or a product line that sells really well. I suspect a lot of them don't give a second thought as to whether their audience thinks they're being honest, because it doesn't matter.

And ultimately, the only way we, as the audience or followers, can express the fact that we're sick of it, is by unfollowing. There is quite literally nothing else we can do – bar complaining to the brands / businesses in question.

Hopeful2016

SB_Part2 wrote: »

I have to agree with onthemitch.

I'm a blogger and I was invited to an open night in a new restaurant where they gave everyone at the table one of every dish to try. The food was uh-mazhing. The portions were huge, the presentation was stunning. I wrote a blog post praising the place, urged everyone to go.

Went back again a few weeks later on my own and what I was given was nothing compared to the first night. Portion size was less than half what I was given, the presentation was gac. Looked like it had just been fired onto the plate. I mailed the restaurant and asked them to explain why the dishes weren't served to the same standard as I received on the open night and they said thanks for the mail, they appreciate the feedback and they passed it onto the kitchen.

Was I to blame here? It wasn't my fault they gave me food that they wouldn't give to regular punters. I updated my blog post saying that when I went back the experience wasn't the same and I haven't been invited to another event by that PR company since.

Well there's an obvious difference between a larger size portion and a piece of jewellery. It's fair that you weren't aware that what you were getting was different to the average customer but getting laden down with extras such as certain bloggers is a different situation.

Hopeful2016

onthemitch wrote: »

I totally take your point but... playing devil's advocate here slightly... do you think bloggers really ARE concerned about their honesty? I mean, the super glitzy hotel stays you're talking about aren't given to the average beauty / fashion blogger who really needs her audience to believe she's telling the truth – they're given to well established bloggers who, like it or loathe it, have a massive audience and/or a product line that sells really well. I suspect a lot of them don't give a second thought as to whether their audience thinks they're being honest, because it doesn't matter.

And ultimately, the only way we, as the audience or followers, can express the fact that we're sick of it, is by unfollowing. There is quite literally nothing else we can do – bar complaining to the brands / businesses in question.

Well that's the problem with bloggers, lots of people don't trust their opinions anymore which can't be a good thing for them in the long run. I agree and have unfollowed many people that I used to enjoy in the past. People can also vote with their feet though and avoid these businesses altogether. For example I can safely say I'll never darken the door of the Marker hotel or order anything from Meaghers pharmacy because I'm sick to the teeth of them being plugged day in day out all over Snapchat.

retro:electro

I agree, don't think I've ever seen a blogger say "just popped into Boots there and picked up these bits".. It's always very contrived and their content is very manipulative. Actually there's one Blogger who regularly buys bits in Boots (Chloe Boucher) and seems to put her hand in her own pocket just as much as she's sent stuff in the post. She also is the only one (that I follow) who seems to post content onto YouTube which takes far more time, effort and skill than a ten second snap on snapchat.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

To be honest, blogging was much more enjoyable before bloggers got carried away with themselves and their inflated sense of self importance. When they didn't make a career out of their followers and trying to advertise things to them. When bloggers went in on pay day like the rest of us and did a pennies haul.

This acting like they're doing you a favour by letting you see what they're paid to talk about or gifted is hilarious. "The follower is a customer but doesn't have to pay", really?

I watch so many beauty bloggers and find myself wondering wtf am I at? They've no interest in anything but their own self importance. If you're given something or you didn't pay for it, you're a walking talking advertisement. Under no obligation to disclose anything? Fair enough but then it's no surprise with that attitude everything you're flogging is taken with a pinch of salt.

meeeeh

I might be wrong generation but why do people nowdays expect good reliable content for free?

It seems expectation of bloggers here is that they should provide free content in their own free time and only use stuff they pay for. If they get paid they should donate their earnings to charity because reciving money for tihings you do is tacky.

I'm sure criticism of quality of content is valid. But did anyone here think donating a fee to charity whenever you read a free article? After all getting stuff for free is tacky or something and you shouldn't live of someone else's free stuff. I can't see how getting free content is any different than getting free samples.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

But what is content?
"Content" is going on to Snapchat to look at bloggers push products at you constantly. When so sue me started, when it was the first blog of its kind, she did features like "steal her style", "pennies hauls" and hair and beauty tips and tricks. I loved that blog. I would read it all the time because it was really well done.

There isn't really that anymore. It's like "so here I am wearing my gifted personalised necklace from Stella and dot, eating my breakfast my trainer that's gifted me free sessions has suggested I eat, after my breakfast here's the supplements I've taken that were kindly sent by XXX. Today's FOTD is a mix of products I was kindly sent. The primer is flomar, the foundation is paeso, both available from meaghers pharmacy, on the eyes I'm using urban decay- thexsame one as everyone else is using right now. Just getting ready for a last minute night away that the marker hotel has kindly offered. I think I'll bring these two dresses that missguided sent to me. Here's our room, they've kindly upgraded us to this room. Here's the room, here's the bathroom, here's the corner, look at all the space under the bed etc etc, gotta get back tomorrow to go to preen to Siobhan to have my brows done. I love preen."

Seriously? Gonna take that as content? It's scour

meeeeh

LexieOnRale wrote: »

But what is content?
"Content" is going on to Snapchat to look at bloggers push products at you constantly. When so sue me started, when it was the first blog of its kind, she did features like "steal her style", "pennies hauls" and hair and beauty tips and tricks. I loved that blog. I would read it all the time because it was really well done.

There isn't really that anymore. It's like "so here I am wearing my gifted personalised necklace from Stella and dot, eating my breakfast my trainer that's gifted me free sessions has suggested I eat, after my breakfast here's the supplements I've taken that were kindly sent by XXX. Today's FOTD is a mix of products I was kindly sent. The primer is flomar, the foundation is paeso, both available from meaghers pharmacy, on the eyes I'm using urban decay- thexsame one as everyone else is using right now. Just getting ready for a last minute night away that the marker hotel has kindly offered. I think I'll bring these two dresses that missguided sent to me. Here's our room, they've kindly upgraded us to this room. Here's the room, here's the bathroom, here's the corner, look at all the space under the bed etc etc, gotta get back tomorrow to go to preen to Siobhan to have my brows done. I love preen."

Seriously? Gonna take that as content? It's scour

I absolutely agree on quality but that's what free content is. It is hard to expect much from something you are not prepared to pay for.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Nobody is asking them to supply content. Blogging is a fad that will hopefully die off soon

meeeeh

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Nobody is asking them to supply content. Blogging is a fad that will hopefully die off soon

Trust me it's very easy to ignore that fad. I do it all the time. And if you do it will die off even quicker.

Hopeful2016

meeeeh wrote: »

I absolutely agree on quality but that's what free content is. It is hard to expect much from something you are not prepared to pay for.

What seems to be considered content these day is snapping from the latest Meaghers or Body Shop event that every other blogger is also snapping that day and then going home and snapping all the stuff they got for free. The same stuff everyone else is also snapping about that day. That seems to be the extent of it. And I agree, blogging in it's current format, i.e. 10 second clips of someone flogging products for a big brand, are on the way out.

Also, it's hard to see how having a regular arrangement whereby you get free services such as hair cuts or nails or other beauty treatments in exchange for social media mentions is not receiving payment. I accept a one off delivery through the door for review may not be payment but having an on-going relationship is definitely more of a business agreement imo. If you're really not obligated to talk about it in return then maybe try not plugging the company and then see if the freebie beauty treatments continue. If they do, then fair enough it's a no strings attached gift. But if they don't, then it's not. I'm aware and accept that #ad is not required for freebies I just don't accept that these are just perks when the company is getting something in return.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

meeeeh wrote: »

Trust me it's very easy to ignore that fad. I do it all the time. And if you do it will die off even quicker.

I do. I have two bloggers on my Snapchat now. I enjoy both for the time being

pocketrocket1

Sorry this is my first post, but i have read these threads for a long time and thought it was about time i jumped in.

I am a blogger ( eww such a dirty word) and even I have to admit this whole blogging malarky has lost the run of itself. Surprising enough I have no issue with bloggers getting "free" stuff, as they spend time and effort trying stuff out and crafting blog posts. Problem in there are very few that do this any more. Instead it is now about flashing product up on snapchat claiming it is their new favourite thing and then not hearing about it again. i really wish PRs would send things to the bloggers I love, that take time to actually blog and even if they do snap products, they give a decent opinion on things.

However where my real gripe lies at the moment is people not declaring when they are paid. I know fact that there are big wigs getting paid thousands for stuff and not one mention of an ad. Instead they claim, oh I'm just popping out here to pick this up, or oh my god imagine this just landed in the door!!! We are not fools!! Again I have no problem with bloggers getting paid for stuff. Advertising has existed for a long time, but good god just say it. Nobody cares!!! They care when you don't declare it!! What scares me is the masses that treat these people like gods!!!!

retro:electro

Another thing seems to be, "anyone know where I can get nice flooring done cheap?" "Anyone know the best place to buy nice lamps".. Que a few days later said blogger giving us a tour around some random furniture shop showing us every nook and cranny of the store and every product in it. Totally transparent.