You won’t meet anyone this Christmas? Over the last few years, so many of us have taken the noble pretext of public health to shield ourselves from the awkwardness of turning down invitations to drinks and dinner.
In his years, it seemed, like it or not, that my carnival outings would be as few and far between as in the dark days of those “meaningful” Christmases. But my defense this year is a little less noble. Maybe that’s a bad thing to say in a season that has taken a hard line against Scroogery, but I simply can’t afford more than one big night this year.
The cost of living crisis is taking its toll, I’m sure it’s no more than for everyone else. With each twinkling of the tree, I felt as though I could feel my government’s electricity credit trickling down to complete exhaustion. It has emerged that even the Arctic is not insulated from inflation. And who among us doesn’t feel tears in our eyes when we realize that this year, out of all the years, December has been an incredibly long FIVE weekend. A lot of people’s paychecks simply won’t.
So what used to be “quality time” seems to have become premium time in 2022. As I do the most awkward audits, trying to decide which of these I might run into. My friends this year, I am well aware of that. the world that I am seeing on my phone.
I find it difficult, as I go from one luxury event to another, not to begin to feel that the sales ladies I love, trust and follow are starting to look a bit like arid aristocrats.
I’m a big fan of influencers, because they promote what I see as a pretty win-win type of marketing. Over the years, I’ve consciously placed more faith in things sold to me by social media stars I trust than in traditional marketing. This is because I can customize the Instagram ads I see. On my feed, I’m marketed to someone who’s the same size as me, or has the same skin type as me, or likes the same clothes as me. In some cases, I’ve even curated my feed to include influencers with the same social and political values as me. The Irish world of influence is often mocked, but I think that’s a rather ignorant way of talking about such a booming industry. Everything from cars to fertility treatments – rightly or wrongly – is sold through Ireland’s Instagram influencers. But I am beginning to believe that one of the most booming industries in Ireland may be headed for bankruptcy, unless it changes its tune.
The art of any kind of advertising is to create a sense of aspirational luxury but at the same time realistically achievable. Maybe in the past, many of us could see ourselves in these women’s glamorous Instagram stories, perhaps even imagining ourselves untangling our own tamed hair. yourself from one of those €500 hair dryers. But now, it seems almost not a week goes by that we don’t have beggars sitting around watching the people trying to sell us things do so while they’re being rewarded by brands. dine, dine and enjoy, broadcasting from any number of interchangeable channels Private dining venues in Dublin seem to be decorated exclusively for the chic girls who come to take pictures. Seduction is a sight and one that I have always found amusing to behold. The point, I think, is that the economic environment for those of us who use Instagram’s influence has changed dramatically, but the tone and duration of marketing itself hasn’t. . The luxuries we see on our feeds are now far beyond the reach of most ordinary people, which makes the world of Irish influencers feel very stale indeed. I find it difficult to get from one posh event to another without starting to feel that the sales ladies I love, trust, and follow are starting to look a bit like ladies. arid race.
Some might say this is just sour grapes from someone who works in an industry that used to have a monopoly on cozy diets. It is indeed true that fancy press events are often reserved for the press; but at least the traditional media has done more to not rub the reader’s face too rough.
I don’t have the type of job that allows me to benefit from the many trips and fancy press events, but I do know that for the colleagues who do it, the extravagance and excesses of it are often almost a luxury. source of shame. So, traditionally, readers will hear about the perceived value of this lipstick or that cream, but you also won’t have to put up with hearing about the great time the journalist tried it on. for free in The Ivy.
Social media marketing will always be ahead of its time, but now it looks like it is stagnating and unable to move with it. Even now, in the midst of the annual Christmas consumer fest, you’ll note that traditional advertising from big brands has been geared towards budgets rather than luxury this year. So brands and influencers on Instagram need to rethink how they approach cash-strapped audiences. Glamor and luxury are good for those who get it for free, but the rest of us don’t buy it.
https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/irish-influencers-are-still-selling-luxury-and-free-fizz-in-the-middle-of-a-cost-of-living-crisis-but-im-not-buying-it-42169476.html Irish influencers are still selling luxury and free goods amid the cost of living crisis, but I’m not buying it
