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

SpillingTheTea · 07-12-2016 11:18AM

miamee wrote: »

SpillingTheTea wrote: »

Is the #ThanksPenneys on Instagram their way around saying #ad?

Sometimes in a campaign, the PR company/ad agency/whoever will give a hashtag to be used. You'd often see it at a specific event (alunch, etc.) too, I guess it helps them to keep track of activity about the campaign. Not sure it replaces marking something as an advertisement though.

Nah I get the reason behind it, also it's a play on when anyone asks you where you got something and you say 'Thanks, Penneys' but I mean it as in there's a MUA I follow on Instagram and instead of saying she was gifted stuff or instead of using #ad it just had their hashtag. To me I think it's a bit of a cheeky way to get around saying #ad when it clearly is paid for content/Benefit in kind/gifted.

miamee · 07-12-2016 11:29AM

I didn't even think of the play on "Thanks, Penneys!", lol. I don't think it gets around the need for #ad either, I'm just not sure if it was intended to do that or if they were using it because Penneys or their representatives asked them to.
Ftr, I don't follow any of these bloggers, am friends with a couple on FB but I don't necessarily follow their beauty stuff very closely. I'm just speaking as someone who has blogged in the (distant) past.

meeeeh · 07-12-2016 11:34AM

If they were just gifted stuff and not paid for promotion they don't need to use #ad anyway.

SpillingTheTea · 07-12-2016 11:40AM

I actually do think it is a play on it because some of them where using #ThanksHunPenneys as well.
The way I see it is, I don't have any problem with bloggers getting gifts or anything because that's their job, but there should be some transparency. That's my opinion. Getting gifted something and playing if off like they got it themselves just makes me as a reader/viewer become more dubious about any reviews because imo, how can I tell if it's a real opinion or paid for? I'm clearly not the only one who thinks this either

SB_Part2 · 07-12-2016 12:19PM

I think there are two issues here when it comes to #ad and #spon. For the likes of the Pennys thing, it's not the blogger at fault here. It's Pennys. They are the ones the ASAI will come down on, not the blogger. It's up to them to ensure that their paid content is hashtagged accordingly.

And secondly, people want to know if something is given for free because it changes their opinion on it. The bloggers who don't use #ad #spon are going to lose more and more followers because people will see them as dishonest.

Hopeful2016 · 07-12-2016 01:23PM

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

She worked for so long as a model, obviously she got paid to model clothes, so why should she now have to disclose something which was her bread and butter.

It's not really the same thing though. If she was booked as a model for a magazine campaign or fashion show then that would be obvious as a paid engagement. Being paid to wear them on a night out and document it on your social media making no mention of it being a paid promotion is not as obvious and the guidelines say it needs to be disclosed. It's irrelevant really who she is or what she did in a former life, the guidelines apply to all equally.

I'm not saying she got paid tho in this instance, it wasn't clear if the clothes were just for the shoot and she decided she was goina wear them out because she liked them. Tho heading out head to toe in the brand suggests to me it may have been an ad.

retro:electro · 08-12-2016 12:14AM

They'll all be kitted out in River Island gear for the next week

silvervixen84 · 08-12-2016 11:33AM

SB_Part2 wrote: »

And secondly, people want to know if something is given for free because it changes their opinion on it. The bloggers who don't use #ad #spon are going to lose more and more followers because people will see them as dishonest.

The sad thing is, they won't really lose followers as many of their fans are young girls who hang on to their every word and will want to buy anything they promote.

Perhaps using #presssample for gifted items to distinguish from paid #ad campaigns might make things more transparent for the public.

retro:electro · 08-12-2016 11:42AM

One blogger is collaborating with Rimmell lipsticks but she only disclosed this yesterday on her Instagram, but for weeks now she's been plugging their lipsticks on snapchat without #ad.

Hopeful2016 · 08-12-2016 01:06PM

anna080 wrote: »

One blogger is collaborating with Rimmell lipsticks but she only disclosed this yesterday on her Instagram, but for weeks now she's been plugging their lipsticks on snapchat without #ad.

She's been plugging them on Snapchat again this morning without #ad.

SB_Part2 · 08-12-2016 01:20PM

anna080 wrote: »

One blogger is collaborating with Rimmell lipsticks but she only disclosed this yesterday on her Instagram, but for weeks now she's been plugging their lipsticks on snapchat without #ad.

Does she have #ad on her instagram post?

Hopeful2016 · 08-12-2016 01:28PM

SB_Part2 wrote: »

Does she have #ad on her instagram post?

Yes, she does.

Mugatuu · 08-12-2016 01:33PM

Prob a silly question but do the brand ambassadors get paid? I never see the ambassadors using #ad or #spon on any of their posts mainly the bloggers plugging detox teas, teeth whitening and makeup brushes

idunno78 · 08-12-2016 02:28PM

Mugatuu wrote: »

Prob a silly question but do the brand ambassadors get paid? I never see the ambassadors using #ad or #spon on any of their posts mainly the bloggers plugging detox teas, teeth whitening and makeup brushes

I remember one who is doing the tea detox one saying that because she is brand ambassador she doesn't have to say #ad. I don't know is that right or not though! She also showed of 800€ worth (roughly in not good at maths) of jewelry just now but don't know was it a gift or did she buy herself. Forgot to add: as far as I know they do get paid!

#presssample is a great idea! A small (I think) galway blogger infollow does this!

SpillingTheTea · 08-12-2016 02:31PM

idunno78 wrote: »

Mugatuu wrote: »

Prob a silly question but do the brand ambassadors get paid? I never see the ambassadors using #ad or #spon on any of their posts mainly the bloggers plugging detox teas, teeth whitening and makeup brushes

I remember one who is doing the tea detox one saying that because she is brand ambassador she doesn't have to say #ad. I don't know is that right or not though! She also showed of 800€ worth (roughly in not good at maths) of jewelry just now but don't know was it a gift or did she buy herself.

#presssample is a great idea! A small (I think) galway blogger infollow does this!

Seen that jewellery post on snapchat. It seemed to me like she was gifted it because she made a post on Instagram about it but of course neither had #ad but I'm dubious..

meeeeh · 08-12-2016 02:53PM

Mugatuu wrote: »

Prob a silly question but do the brand ambassadors get paid? I never see the ambassadors using #ad or #spon on any of their posts mainly the bloggers plugging detox teas, teeth whitening and makeup brushes

I actually don't know how that works but for example you have actresses who are brand ambassador and paid for it. If they are asked in the interview about the perfume they are wearing their reply won't be marked as ad. And even more obviously interviews on for example Norton plugging a movie are considered original content. This things certainly did not start with bloggers but it would be interesting to see what are actual rules around it.

Personally I think it's double edged sword. There will be always people who will follow someone for basically voyeuristic reasons but I am interested in ideas how to wear things and for that I find most main Irish bloggers useless.

frogstar · 08-12-2016 03:16PM

idunno78 wrote: »

I remember one who is doing the tea detox one saying that because she is brand ambassador she doesn't have to say #ad. I don't know is that right or not though! She also showed of 800€ worth (roughly in not good at maths) of jewelry just now but don't know was it a gift or did she buy herself. Forgot to add: as far as I know they do get paid!

#presssample is a great idea! A small (I think) galway blogger infollow does this!

Don't you mean CELEBRITY Brand ambassador

Hopeful2016 · 08-12-2016 08:13PM

anna080 wrote: »

One blogger is collaborating with Rimmell lipsticks but she only disclosed this yesterday on her Instagram, but for weeks now she's been plugging their lipsticks on snapchat without #ad.

She's also disclosing the Parfois handbags as #ad this evening on her Facebook but she featured Parfois handbags on her Snapchat a few days ago with no #. She seems to be a regular offender.

retro:electro · 08-12-2016 08:17PM

Hopeful2016 wrote: »

She's also disclosing the Parfois handbags as #ad this evening on her Facebook but she featured Parfois handbags on her Snapchat a few days ago with no #. She seems to be a regular offender.

She's the worst from what I can see. But she gets away with it more because she's nice and people don't like to criticise her.

pocketrocket1 · 08-12-2016 08:22PM

Not all brand ambassadors get paid but I also know that the teeth whitening people, the tea people and the tan people are bringing in big big money. Sure one of them just bought a house in a very prestigious golf resort

Hopeful2016 · 08-12-2016 09:28PM

pocketrocket1 wrote: »

Not all brand ambassadors get paid but I also know that the teeth whitening people, the tea people and the tan people are bringing in big big money. Sure one of them just bought a house in a very prestigious golf resort

The one with the new house is the one who isn't disclosing paid for promotions with numerous brands on Snapchat it seems.

idunno78 · 08-12-2016 09:46PM

anna080 wrote: »

She's the worst from what I can see. But she gets away with it more because she's nice and people don't like to criticise her.

I think she comes across more genuine in what she shows! I would never have thought some of the stuff she shows might possibly have been ads until I saw you guys bring it up here! Although when she was wearing river island back when I first started following her on snapchat i did wonder about that!!

forumuser · 09-12-2016 12:54AM

idunno78 wrote: »

I think she comes across more genuine in what she shows!

Agree..she has a very friendly, down to earth way on snapchat that makes you forget she's trying to flog stuff.

Sunny Dayz · 09-12-2016 10:58AM

forumuser wrote: »

Agree..she has a very friendly, down to earth way on snapchat that makes you forget she's trying to flog stuff.

Yes and I think that's one of the things that sets her apart from the other "full time" bloggers. She comes across as genuine enough, she isn't so materialistic as others and isn't quite so "me, me, me", "I got sent this and I got sent that". I think she's one of the few bloggers who hasn't got my back up over something, she's mature and confident in that she knows who she is as a person, she's not trying too hard.

I know I'm probably labouring on the point about her being a former model but I just would have viewed her blog as an extension or evolution of her modelling, still a job you get paid to promote things.

Sunny Dayz · 09-12-2016 11:23AM

idunno78 wrote: »

#presssample is a great idea! A small (I think) galway blogger infollow does this!

Some bloggers (as in the ones who actually write blog posts!) will disclose if they are reviewing a press sample. Fair enough to review press samples, I wouldn't expect bloggers to go out and just buy products to review and often samples are sent out before the product is available in shops. However what grinds my gears are the bloggers who only seem to review press samples and their reviews read just like the press release. It just feels like some of them are going through the motions, need to be seen posting reviews to remain on PR mailing lists and probably wouldn't actually buy the product with their own cash or wouldn't have gone through the bother of trying out the product if it wasn't handed to them.

fed_u · 09-12-2016 02:23PM

I have to agree Sunny Dayz - reviews at this stage are all the same especially when it comes to these 'influencers'.. I've actually just looked them all up and I'm amazed at how many of them are included/involved but I dunno if it's more this Co. taking advantage of their individual success. The fact that their is so much uncertainty on what is spon/ad is still bugging me when blogging doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast!! Everyone now has their 'brand' and the one that I like has all sponsored posts up this week would really make you wonder...

idunno78 · 10-12-2016 12:39PM

Jese that blogger ye are on about that did the VHI ad... I only recently started following her after thinking i wouldn't like her but I did! But now am wondering is she not as genuine as I though! Another blogger I follow was at hueston station and had every snap #ad and the other girl was there a few hours later but no mention of it being an ad! In snaps just before she was on about a brush she saw and got cos it looked good and showed how it worked. But a makeup artist was sent/gifted it about 2 weeks ago!

Also has anyone here reported anyone to ASAI? I'm just wondering does your name Get released or does it stay anon? Or what is process? Can pm me if you want as it's off topic. Thanks!

onthemitch · 10-12-2016 03:05PM

idunno78 wrote: »

Jese that blogger ye are on about that did the VHI ad... I only recently started following her after thinking i wouldn't like her but I did! But now am wondering is she not as genuine as I though! Another blogger I follow was at hueston station and had every snap #ad and the other girl was there a few hours later but no mention of it being an ad! In snaps just before she was on about a brush she saw and got cos it looked good and showed how it worked. But a makeup artist was sent/gifted it about 2 weeks ago!

Also has anyone here reported anyone to ASAI? I'm just wondering does your name Get released or does it stay anon? Or what is process? Can pm me if you want as it's off topic. Thanks!

I've reported to the ASAI once; as a general rule you stay anonymous but they decided that, as I am a fellow blogger, I "have an interest" and said they would only continue with my complaint if I waived my anonymity. So I said no. Another blogger I know had the same experience. (Of course I have an interest – it's in my interest that everyone be forced to be transparent so we all stop getting tarred with the same brush!)

I think it is pretty relevant as it's on the topic of bloggers not disclosing / using the hashtag...

On another note, there's a piece in today's Irish Times which is pretty interesting in terms of influencer marketing; in it, it seems to suggest that payment – either in cash or "in kind" – constitutes a marketing communication and should be disclosed as such. So you could then argue that free trips etc should be hashtagged (maybe less so with makeup cos you couldn't really argue that it's a payment "in kind" but if you get a free holiday in exchange for coverage...) I dunno how they'd work that one out!

Link here: http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/influencer-marketing-honest-blogging-or-fake-endorsement-1.2887964

idunno78 · 10-12-2016 03:15PM

Onthemitch, thanks! I reported someone. Received a letter confirming it. It heard nothing since! I'm not a blogger so hopefully that means they will keep my name anon!
I read that article saw it on your FB this morning! Hopefully people take note...

ratmouse · 10-12-2016 03:46PM

onthemitch wrote: »

I've reported to the ASAI once; as a general rule you stay anonymous but they decided that, as I am a fellow blogger, I "have an interest" and said they would only continue with my complaint if I waived my anonymity. So I said no. Another blogger I know had the same experience. (Of course I have an interest – it's in my interest that everyone be forced to be transparent so we all stop getting tarred with the same brush!)

I think it is pretty relevant as it's on the topic of bloggers not disclosing / using the hashtag...

On another note, there's a piece in today's Irish Times which is pretty interesting in terms of influencer marketing; in it, it seems to suggest that payment – either in cash or "in kind" – constitutes a marketing communication and should be disclosed as such. So you could then argue that free trips etc should be hashtagged (maybe less so with makeup cos you couldn't really argue that it's a payment "in kind" but if you get a free holiday in exchange for coverage...) I dunno how they'd work that one out!

Link here: http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/influencer-marketing-honest-blogging-or-fake-endorsement-1.2887964

Onthemitch, do you mind me asking why you didn't just waiver remaining anonymous and proceed with the complaint anyway and the same regarding the other blogger who you said tried to make a complaint? It seems unfair that if some bloggers are honest and upfront about what is sponsored/a paid promotion,etc then others should be subjected to do the same. It just seems an awful pity that the rest can do what they like and probably do so knowing that nobody will actually report them for fear of the complainant's details being revealed. It almost appears that these other bloggers are aware of this and coast along nicely in the security that no other blogger would dare open their mouth and call them out.

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

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