No free lunch on social media too

There must be fairness and transparency in how influencers and businesses work together.

IF you’re a social media “influencer”, is it morally right for you to ask gratuity from businesses in return for favourable posts on your blog or website?

That is the question I posed to three people – a restaurateur, the owner of an influencer marketplace and a social media personality.

My question was prompted by the recent story of a luxury hotel in Dublin that banned YouTubers and Instagram stars after a 22-year-old YouTuber asked for a five-night free stay.

According to the UK’s The Independent, the issue started when Elle Darby, a social media influencer, with 87,000 YouTube subscribers and 76,000 Instagram followers, reached out to the owner of The White Moose Cafe, Paul Stenson, asking if he was interested in a “possible collaboration”.

In an e-mail to the Dublin hotel, Darby wrote that she was a social media influencer who was going to be in Dublin for an early Valentine’s Day weekend with her partner.

“As I was searching for places to stay, I came across your stunning hotel and would love to feature you in my YouTube videos/dedicated Instagram stories/posts to bring traffic to your hotel and recommend others to book up in return for free accommodation,” she wrote to Stenson.

Ending her e-mail, Darby mentioned that she had organised a similar collaboration with Universal Orlando in Florida last year and “it’s been amazing for them!”

Stenson responded to Darby’s request, publicly, on The White Moose Cafe Facebook page. It was a sarcastic message that questioned her motives.

“If I let you stay here in return for a feature in a video, who is going to pay the staff who look after you? Whois going to pay the housekeepers who clean your room?

“The waiters who serve you breakfast? The receptionist who checks you in? Who is going to pay for the light and heat you use during your stay?” he asked.

The message concludes: “P.S. The answer is no.”

Of course, their exchange went viral, prompting positive and negative comments for both the hotel owner as well as the YouTuber. But both have also received an enormous amount of publicity and ultimately, no one here is the loser.

But back to my question. What happened in this episode is actually commonplace in Malaysia.

“It is prevalent here and businesses are actually afraid of the power of these social media influencers,” Tiong Sue Lynn, a well-known social media personality and blogger, told me.

Tiong said these influencers claim that they can boost sales figures, helping brands, but more than that, businesses are afraid of the negative publicity.

“If they can avoid the drama, they will and that’s why they cave in to demands, like free stays and free meals,” she said, adding that she does not condone the actions of these bloggers.

Tiong said her popular blog bangsarbabe.com was 10 years old now and in all that time, she had never asked for “freebies”.

“Yes, I endorse products and companies, but it should be the businesses that approach us, not the other way around,” she said.

Chef and restaurant owner Isadora Chai is in agreement with Tiong.

“If you ask for a free meal in my restaurants, all you’ll get is either two-minute noodles or fresh air,” quipped the founder of Bistro a Table in Petaling Jaya and Antara in Kuala Lumpur.

“I’ve got nothing against bloggers, but my question to business owners is, ‘Where do you draw the line?’ If you want to come in to my restaurants and give me a bad review, that’s your prerogative, but my target market does not rely on the opinion of a 15-year old!

“It’s not about being trendy or ‘instagrammable’, it’s about being relevant,” she said, adding that she has turned down every single influencer request for free meals since she started her first eatery five years ago.

Foong Yuh Wen, the founder of SushiVid, a regional influencer marketplace, thinks that the lack of control or regulations on social media influencers have led them to believe that they are an entitled group.

“I believe influencers should be paid, because nothing is free in this world, but demanding freebies isn’t right either. A paid review is still honest and the sooner brands get that, the better it would be for the industry,” she said.

Foong argued that there is a real need for transparency and efficiency in the industry.

“We’re here to help our creative space, to create an efficient way to leverage on each other – the brands as well as the influencers,” she told me.

She feels that brands/businesses should use specialist agencies rather than go direct, because you run the risk of being held ransom by the influencer without properly understanding what it takes to create an effective campaign.

So, there you have it. The reality for hotels, restaurants, bars and brands in general is that the power of social media has become all pervasive. But by “feeding the beast”, the brands themselves continue to perpetuate the myth that influencers are all-important and can have considerable impact on your business.

This writer is not averse to getting tips on the best new places to eat on social media, but only from reputable instagrammers. If you do your research, you’ll know who they are.