I find it akin to people who tell you their rental is such a great investment but we all know the devil is in the detail. I'm constantly amazed at how people forget to factor in the costs of business when proclaiming profit.
Influencers and Hermes
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@highend Why are you sad about this comment dear?
Or the cost of prespend when factoring how much profit they made off their Hermes bag
Precisely
Hahaha! @addicted! Brava! BTW, I will mix the unpopular opinion and influencer thread together. My UO is that this Influencer thread is my least favorite Hermes thread. First, I am not influenced by influencers because I am older and for the most part, I do not watch reveals, YouTube influencers et al, because I do not believe them. I do like I am GPS, because I have a gut feeling that he is sweet. Most are inane posers who are in it for the most psychologically bizarre and unhealthy reasons. @highend, I am also wondering about all the sad faces. Hope you are OK. It is a topic of conversation that some of the sad faces are inappropriate or possibly judgmental. Maybe you can clarify? So @addicted, thank you for pointing it out.
There are luxury consumers, but there are also aspirational shoppers (people who would buy if they could and will be the next entry-level lux consumers) and luxury's non-consumers (an audience for luxury shoppers that provide brand and status recognition in the wider population) . All important to luxury, especially the power of those mentioned on each other, especially when brands are introducing makeup lines like H has done in the past few years.
There are many influencers who pretend to know more than they do. Influencers are (mostly) about what's fashionable now and cultural trends. Some are H clients and are making the most of the current H fixation to cash in (or should that be cash-back) on their possessions, but more often than not, influencers just buying into the latest fad because they've seen which brand is causing the highest algorithms. Hermes itself becomes fashion fad.
For years we've seen 'lazy' journalists write on Birkins as investment bags for attention headlines. It's 'comment' usually to promote a big handbag sale at 'X' auction house (a representative of that auction house usually quoted as the expert) so soft promotion for the event and auction house, and for the online news platform or blogger, a driver for luxury and middle-market adverts. Journos and auction houses, like influencers know a bag as investment is mostly all nonsense, but they (think they) know it's a fairy story people want to hear again and again.
Influencers are just low rent entertainers that use whatever to up their algorithms. We're still in the deinfluencing 'minimalism' wave where we learn we've all been infected by consumerism (that apparently only started 2020
) There are a wave of vids commenting on those declutter videos to cash-in, attempting to recruit the big influencers' following for their own. Very soon they'll be a wave of influencers upset about finding out about the 'Myth of the Investment Birkin Bag'.Think about influencers as empty vessels, waiting for things or ideas to fill their receptacle. One influencer commenting on many of the big influencers selling their personal luxury collections protested 'influencers are people too'. Actually, influencer are professionals posing as amateurs and consumers. They are reps, PR and hand-bag party hosts demonstrating the latest product. Maybe some naively thought luxury brands would engage with them beyond the odd lipstick. Hermes or Tupperware, they are only interested in their stats, KPI and competition ranking. They may be a luxury consumer whilst in store but once their goods are in the public sphere, they're a front for a salesforce (expert or not). Whether or not H want these people to front the brand debatable.
I see plenty of H fakes on reality TV shows that supposedly highlight luxury lifestyles, so no doubt they'll be a few faux H bags used as props as background shelf-fillers, I think that's a red herring though. The point is, luxury influencers are influencers first, luxury is just a target market, but realistically, not theirs. Their business model is buying and promoting brands until the company makes them a partner, sponsors or at least sends stuff for free. Most influencers have learned in the last four years, luxury doesn't work like that except for beauty. Luxury is just to hook new subscribers and followers until they mount-up. Their affiliate links, partnerships etc are with the mid-price and 'dupe' brands - so that's what we're newly heading and being fed - hence faux pretense they hate luxury and have found peace in 'piety', buying only brands they get a kick-back from.
There are really people who think this?
The insights and observations of others on this thread keep me coming back, so thank you all
I buy bags I love. I use them. I enjoy displaying them. I don’t blame Hermès for their successful business model. Watch companies have even higher barriers to entry.
But, assuming some really believe that buying an influencers road map will enable them to get a bag, I oddly think the influencers behavior is more unsavory than the retailer. But, it’s a free country, and the rest of us looking on may be interested in seeing how long this can play out
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This is a great synthesis!There are luxury consumers, but there are also aspirational shoppers (people who would buy if they could and will be the next entry-level lux consumers) and luxury's non-consumers (an audience for luxury shoppers that provide brand and status recognition in the wider population) . All important to luxury, especially the power of those mentioned on each other, especially when brands are introducing makeup lines like H has done in the past few years.
There are many influencers who pretend to know more than they do. Influencers are (mostly) about what's fashionable now and cultural trends. Some are H clients and are making the most of the current H fixation to cash in (or should that be cash-back) on their possessions, but more often than not, influencers just buying into the latest fad because they've seen which brand is causing the highest algorithms. Hermes itself becomes fashion fad.
For years we've seen 'lazy' journalists write on Birkins as investment bags for attention headlines. It's 'comment' usually to promote a big handbag sale at 'X' auction house (a representative of that auction house usually quoted as the expert) so soft promotion for the event and auction house, and for the online news platform or blogger, a driver for luxury and middle-market adverts. Journos and auction houses, like influencers know a bag as investment is mostly all nonsense, but they (think they) know it's a fairy story people want to hear again and again.
Influencers are just low rent entertainers that use whatever to up their algorithms. We're still in the deinfluencing 'minimalism' wave where we learn we've all been infected by consumerism (that apparently only started 2020
Think about influencers as empty vessels, waiting for things or ideas to fill their receptacle. One influencer commenting on many of the big influencers selling their personal luxury collections protested 'influencers are people too'. Actually, influencer are professionals posing as amateurs and consumers. They are reps, PR and hand-bag party hosts demonstrating the latest product. Maybe some naively thought luxury brands would engage with them beyond the odd lipstick. Hermes or Tupperware, they are only interested in their stats, KPI and competition ranking. They may be a luxury consumer whilst in store but once their goods are in the public sphere, they're a front for a salesforce (expert or not). Whether or not H want these people to front the brand debatable.
I see plenty of H fakes on reality TV shows that supposedly highlight luxury lifestyles, so no doubt they'll be a few faux H bags used as props as background shelf-fillers, I think that's a red herring though. The point is, luxury influencers are influencers first, luxury is just a target market, but realistically, not theirs. Their business model is buying and promoting brands until the company makes them a partner, sponsors or at least sends stuff for free. Most influencers have learned in the last four years, luxury doesn't work like that except for beauty. Luxury is just to hook new subscribers and followers until they mount-up. Their affiliate links, partnerships etc are with the mid-price and 'dupe' brands - so that's what we're newly heading and being fed - hence faux pretense they hate luxury and have found peace in 'piety', buying only brands they get a kick-back from.
Just my $0.02--
I treat this specific thread now mainly as entertainment, albeit once in awhile I'll throw in a post/video that I liked. I think initially I looked to "influencers" (or what I thought were regular folks sharing their story) more for information and to get insight on their experience. But then it started to get really tiresome to have to play all the videos at 1.5x because they just go on and on, or to have to scroll to the actual point of the video (usually near the end - oh that pesky algorithm tactic), or when the unboxing is for... a bastia (don't get me wrong, I love using mine). And honestly, these influencers don't seem to know all that much about the product or the house - so I can't trust/rely on them for that information anymore (or maybe I never did?).
Influencers definitely aren't subject-matter experts. TPF is more helpful! I also appreciate this community is mostly sincere conversations, celebrations, and advice - whereas an influencer account can feel overly-curated and disingenuous at times.
ETA: apologies for my ho-hum semi-rant, I think I need a cookie
I don’t know who this person is but from what I gather they paid for her air and hotel for a fragrance? A fragrance?! Just how many bottles would they have to sell to make up for this influencer event? It’s events like this that remind me how much luxury brands spend on influencers and marketing and most of us don’t ever get this type of benefit. What I’d like to see is h and other brands flying out clients who’ve been with them for a while and spent significant sums to show their appreciation for them. And some people say oh exclusive offers are the benefit. No they are not because every Tom dick Nancy Emily is getting a bag these days.
Thanks for sharing, the part that I find most puzzling is she seems to be a food influencer based on her feed. An unusual choice for Hermes.
NYFW is going on right now, so many none of the luxury fashion influencers are available?
They do it because it's cheap marketing. Last year, it was reported that Timothée Chalamet was paid $35M to promote Bleu de Chanel. A brand trip is much, much cheaper, and they can get more returns per dollar if they select the right influencers. Whether this influencer will reach the right audience ... I'm not sure
The question I have is what's the profit margin on a $105 bottom of perfume that allows millions in marketing budget
you’re missing my main point. And this isn’t even a known influencer as you noted. They treat these total rando influencers better than most clients. The brand can’t even bother to send a holiday card to longtime clients. All that most of us get is a catalogue. 🤣They do it because it's cheap marketing. Last year, it was reported that Timothée Chalamet was paid $35M to promote Bleu de Chanel. A brand trip is much, much cheaper, and they can get more returns per dollar if they select the right influencers. Whether this influencer will reach the right audience ... I'm not sure
The question I have is what's the profit margin on a $105 bottom of perfume that allows millions in marketing budget
All that I want is for them to offer me something other than water
OR at least let me hold my coffee instead of making me put it away