The influence of #hashtag "Influencers"

[tofidog]

….or how wealthy you are




You must remember the hand towel dispenser In the loo at James Cook University. Labelled:

MARKETING DEGREES
Please take one!

 

[tofidog]

Still only on the hand towel dispenser? Those James Cook Uni students are still very kind.

 

[romney]

I think just like a TV ad, any sponsored comment/blog should be self evident as an ad.

Some time ago a radio shock jock was pulled up for doing “cash for comment”. I think there are regulations in the commercial licensed radio space about such activities. The disclaimer has to be contemporaneously juxtaposed such that the sponsorship is clearly declared when the comment is made.

The blogsphere does not have these conditions/controls as that space is unregulated - for better or worse.

Don’t get me started on the TV infomercials which superficially appear to be a commentary but in fact is an ad.

Yes, this! It is considered unethical if travel bloggers do not have a note - preferably at the beginning - on a post if they have been compensated in some way for writing it, but there is nothing to make everyone do it.

There actually are some things starting to be put in place though. Not government regulations, but a step in the right direction. Things like all sponsored content on Facebook needs to be done a certain way with a hashtag or something (sorry, I'm don't have anything sponsored to put on there so not exactly sure how it works). If Facebook thinks your content is sponsored and not "declared" they will delete your post. Big companies like Amazon require disclaimers before any sponsored or affliate links now, and Google will penalise a website if commercial links are not dealt with properly in the background.

 

[Hvr]

I see this as an electronic version of beg packing. I also refuse to support them.

 

[Quickstatus]

Imagine doing that in countries where there is real poverty. Shameless

Raise the money in your own country. Then spend it on travels. Or do a working holiday but it does involve work.....Both benefit the traveller and the country they are visiting.
Travel should be beneficial to both.

I don’t think Mark Twain’s writing about travel and bigotry extends to this

 

[p--and--t]

But the rejected 'influencer' can leave a review under any name, at any time. It doesn't have to be their own account. Or their own email, or anything else. You could create an account solely for the purpose of leaving a negative review, and not all 'one-time' posting accounts are automatically discarded by readers. Sometimes someone has such a positive or negative experience that a single post can have impact. It's extremely hard to track these things.

That's one of the problems with fake reviews.

A great example is TripAdvisor. I always totally ignore the reviews of reviewers who have only done 1 or 2 reviews and the score is 5* or 1*. A great majority of the 1* appear to be from a competitor or sour grapes and the 5* a temporary account by a friend/acquaintance of the proprietor.

Similarly with the host of other review sites out there for restaurants et al.

 

[Nank]

I have had a somewhat similar experience recently myself I must say. I run a lawn care and landscaping business which I promote and share my work life through Instagram, Facebook and YouTube etc. I also write reviews on a fair bit of stuff on Productreview.com.au
Recently they emailed me because apparently they have read a lot of my reviews and found them very "informative and detailed" and then proceeded to ask me if I would be interested in joining their new ambassador program where they send me products of companies that they have teamed up with and all I do is test them for a couple of weeks, write a full, honest, detailed review on them and then get to keep the products. Pretty decent exchange if you ask me lol. They have already sent me a nice Tefal Cook4Me which I am really liking.
My reviews have been read over 80,500 times apparently so it is a powerful tool but I don't think going straight to a company like this "influencer" apparently has is the right thing to do either. I know in life you have to go out and get something if you want it but when it comes to companies sending me free stuff I rather just sit back and let them make the call. It ain't my stuff to give away so I keep my mouth shut unless they ask me to partner with them. I would never got out and ask for free accommodation or anything else of such high value like these people are because it just doesn't seem right. If they want to do that sort of thing they will ask you, not the other way round.
And also, if you are lucky enough to get a partnership of some sort with a company, be gracious and humble about it if you can, no one needs another "look at me" self-promoting oaf prancing around hollering about their great achievements that in reality often aren't even that amazing. Promote as you have to, if you have to, and if you like the stuff you are given spread the word, but don't go around just being a overindulged prick like some of these blokes sound.
I know someone in Brissy for example who is an "entrepreneur" and "public figure" and goes around all day rubbing his "landscaping business" and "interview with {insert name of random unheard of builder guy}" in everyone's faces when in actual fact if you know him he is just a 14 year old kid with 1 client (repeat, 1 CLIENT) who mows a neighbours lawn. Now I can't judge because like a lot of lawnies I started out just like that but given I have been in business coming up on 2 years now as well as him and I am pretty well progressed compared to him I really don't think there is tons he should be bragging about. I don't go yelling about client numbers, interviews, equipment etc. because I don't need to. Here's the big difference I see though and this applies to a lot of these "influencers" too:
They sit on Facebook and other social media bragging about random stuff that no one else really cares about whilst the rest of us are actually up off our cough DOING IT.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Will say my nieces dog has its own Instagram account with 40 times the followers I have and the dog gets offers of free product to advertise.

Its a crazy world.

I have to admit I am a regular reader of “Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund” and even bought a Dachsramp they recommended (best buy ever for the fur babies). I would hate to think how much Crusoe is worth

 

[Danielb56]

A friend of mine runs an iconic hotel

She got this the other day:

Good afternoon ******* Hotel!

I hope this email finds you well.

My name is xx_XX, I am a travel blogger and content creator based in Sydney’s *********. I have a total of 522,000 followers on my Instagram platforms through the accounts @xx_ and @xx_. I co-own the account @xx_X with my mother, aka the successful @xx_X on Instagram.

Fortunately because of the success of our social media platforms we have been blessed to travel the world often and in style, we are certainly no ordinary family! One of our biggest passions to pursue while travelling is snowboarding. I have been lucky enough to visit some of the world’s best places to snowboard including the French Alps, Japan and hopefully Austria at the end of this year! xx_xx_xx_X

I was researching accommodation in ******** for a trip my partner and I are planning on doing early ********. Of course I know of the iconic ******** hotel and instantly knew this is the place to stay! I would like to reach out to you today to offer a collaboration between our two brands.

Please see the below proposal:

Proposal

In exchange for:

- 5 nights accommodation from 5th - 9th ******* (dates are flexible)
- 5 x breakfast
- 5 x gourmet dinners

I will provide ******** hotel:

- 5 x Instagram stories on @xx_XX tagging @*********hotel hashtagging #**********hotel
- 5 x Instagram stories on @xx_XX tagging @********hotel & hashtagging #********hotel
- 1 x Instagram post on @xx_X tagging @********hotel & hashtagging #*********hotel
- 1 x live Instagram video on @xx_XX stating that we are staying at *******hotel and our experience of it!

Thank you for your time - I look forward to hearing back from you as I am wanting to book this trip ASAP. Please forward this email to your PR or marketing manager if need be.

I have attached my media kit for you to review.

Have a lovely evening,

Kind regards,

xx_xxLUXURY TRAVEL INFLUENCER

........

Lots of people are jumping on the hashtag/ travel influenced bandwagon as a way to get freebies and free holidays.

Travel influencers who do freebies for comment are not sources I would consider as unbiased information.. Add to this journalists who do the free qantas travel for comment.

If the person comes out and ask like that then I would say don't give it. My daughter has received recently two 6 and 4 night back to back free holiday in Vanuatu by two different hotels. They approached her...she does blog a lot on Instagram and has quite a few followers but they are quality engaging followers. I am told that you can buy followers...so who knows. Tell your friend is it really worth it. Does your hotle really need it....

 

[Quickstatus]

Hotel is already full for that month

 

[Milboo]

I think just like a TV ad, any sponsored comment/blog should be self evident as an ad.

Some time ago a radio shock jock was pulled up for doing “cash for comment”. I think there are regulations in the commercial licensed radio space about such activities. The disclaimer has to be contemporaneously juxtaposed such that the sponsorship is clearly declared when the comment is made.

The blogsphere does not have these conditions/controls as that space is unregulated - for better or worse.

Don’t get me started on the TV infomercials which superficially appear to be a commentary but in fact is an ad.

All sponsored content is required to be distinguished - the AANA Code of Ethics requires that all advertising and marketing material must be clearly distinguishable as such to the relevant audience.

This means bloggers must include a statement if they’ve been paid by the advertiser/ company they are spruiking. And it’s means on Instagram that an influencer uses a hashtag like #spon #ad #paid #ambassador or that it is obvious from the content i.e. it says something like “as a proud ambassador for Brand X”

This is the standard: http://aana.com.au/content/uploads/...hable-Advertising-Best-Practice-Guideline.pdf

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But what's the penalty for breaching the 'best practice' guidelines? Sanctions? Fines? And very difficult to control international based accounts.

 

[Milboo]

A complaint can be made to the Ad Standards Bureau. If they uphold the complaint and you don’t change the content then the matter can be referred to the ACCC for action.

Complaints can also be made to to the platform and that risks your account being suspended.

 

[Quickstatus]

All sponsored content is required to be distinguished - the AANA Code of Ethics requires that all advertising and marketing material must be clearly distinguishable as such to the relevant audience.


This is the standard: http://aana.com.au/content/uploads/...hable-Advertising-Best-Practice-Guideline.pdf

All very nice but Instagram and the like are not companies who necessarily abide by local rules and regulations such as these. And what take a blogger or influencer to court?. No chance of that ever happening

 

[Milboo]

Yeah but the companies using influencers will impose obligations on them to comply with the Code in posting their content. If you are an influencer who does not play by the rules then the reputable companies will not want to engage with you as you will be damaging to their brand and reputations, and place them in the spotlight of the ASB and ACCC.

 

[Quickstatus]

Great in theory. Has never happened in the Instagram world

 

[harvyk]

All sponsored content is required to be distinguished - the AANA Code of Ethics requires that all advertising and marketing material must be clearly distinguishable as such to the relevant audience.

This means bloggers must include a statement if they’ve been paid by the advertiser/ company they are spruiking. And it’s means on Instagram that an influencer uses a hashtag like #spon #ad #paid #ambassador or that it is obvious from the content i.e. it says something like “as a proud ambassador for Brand X”

This is the standard: http://aana.com.au/content/uploads/...hable-Advertising-Best-Practice-Guideline.pdf

That's all well and good stating that you're supposed to, however you are assuming that all parties to the agreement reside in Australia, and that various government agencies would be willing to go after a small time blogger who has managed to get a couple of nights of free accom without stating that as a fact.

Whilst official review sites like tripadvisor typically attempt to remove "paid for" reviews as that damages their reputation, blogging sites don't exactly care.

You'd really need to be at a professional level, aka making a decent living from your blog before you'd risk being caught by the above, and I don't think the average "influencer" would be at that level.

 

[burmans]

A complaint can be made to the Ad Standards Bureau. If they uphold the complaint and you don’t change the content then the matter can be referred to the ACCC for action.

Complaints can also be made to to the platform and that risks your account being suspended.

Ooh, the ACCC, I'm really concerned!. Seriously, the same ACCC who in response to ongoing breaches of consumer law by the airlines come out with a statement that if the airlines don't behave, they "may" have to do something? Scary!!

 

[Milboo]

Yes - the average person trying to be an influencer is unlikely to run into an issue. But by the same token, the average person trying to be an influencer won't be getting the free stays/ products/ perks etc - or getting them for brands that have decent market penetration.

The world of reviews, use of influencers and use of social media by brands is a pretty complex area - I encounter it several times a week at least. Here is some of the cases on it: Misleading or Fake: Can You Trust Online Reviews? | LegalVision - Meriton got pinged (to bring it back to travel!)

 

[Milboo]

Ooh, the ACCC, I'm really concerned!. Seriously, the same ACCC who in response to ongoing breaches of consumer law by the airlines come out with a statement that if the airlines don't behave, they "may" have to do something? Scary!!

Yep - the same ACCC who brought proceedings against Yazaki for cartel conduct (to do with Toyota Camrys) and secured a fine of $46m in the Federal Court 2 weeks ago.

Record $46 million in penalties for Yazaki cartel

They have also amassed about $3m in fines against the egg companies selling eggs as free range.