INFLUENCER SELFIES AS SUBVERSIVE

FRIVOLITY

Pia Frick, Maria Kurtz, Andrea Nakova

 STRUCTURE

• Introduction
• Influencers and Selfies
• Selfies on Instagram
• Selfies as Salable objects
• Selfies as Tactic Labor
SELFIES – A MERE ACT OF
FRIVOLITY OR
SOMETHING MORE?

Author’s own image

COMMERCIALIZATION OF SELFIES
 INFLUENCERS AND SELFIES

• INFLUENCERS IN
SINGAPORE
from commercial lifestyle
bloggers to microcelebrities
UNDERSTANDINGS OF
ROLES OF SELFIES:
SELFIES

• Populist: “a photograph that one has • a platform to feature products and

taken of oneself, taken with a smartphone services in advertorials
or webcam and uploaded to a social
• a way to build an interpersonal
media website”
relationship with followers
• Scientific: “cultural artifact”, “object”,
• a visual record of “being there”
“social practice”, “gesture”
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD
SELFIE-TAKING SKILLS

Maximize “likeability”

Increase potential for

monetization
THE ROLE OF GENDER IN
SELFIES

Selfie-taking doesn’t obey

gender stereotypes

@yutakis
SELFIES ON
INSTAGRAM
 TYPES OF SELFIES ON DIFFERENT
PLATFORMS

INSTAGRAM TWITTER SNAPCHAT

- Most professional and - Less professional - Spontaneous,
stylized selfies selfies authentic selfies
- More selfies - No long term
throughout the day consequences
 REPURPOSED USES BY INFLUENCERS

INFLUENCERS‘ COMMERCIAL
INSTAGRAMS PHILOSOPY (2013) SELFIES
• High follower-to-following ratio
“What is Instagram? Instagram is a fun and quirky
• Often use high-end digital cameras
way to share your life with friends through a series of
• Pictures to disseminate and circulate information
pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, then
• Pictures often purposefully staged
choose a filter to transform the image into a memory
to keep around forever. We’re building Instagram to
allow you to experience moments in your friends’
lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a
world more connected through photos.”
 SELFIES AS SALABLE OBJECTS

• Advertorials sold as single slot, series of

slots or as part of cross-platform
campaign
• Advertorial rates vary based on the
influencer‘s popularity
 TYPES OF SELFIE ADVERTORIALS

DISPLAY OF USE OF PRODUCT MULTI-INFLUENCER FOLLOWER SELFIE

PRODUCT CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGNS
Displays product in a Selfie of influencer using Group of influencers Influencers encourage
selfie accopanied by the product, e.g. “how to“ promotes product on their followers to post selfies as
information about the tutorial individual accounts part of campaign
company
SELFIES AS TACTIC
LABOR

= Selfies seem effortless und subconscouis, but

require work
 „THE PERFECT SELFIE“

MAKE POSING LIGHTNING EDITING

UP/DRESSING
- trying to look - thinking - e.g. ring lights - to look the best
as cute and through the for smooth skin way possible
desirable as view of a selfie and good quality - „the gaze“
possible - „hacks“ to
- Different always look the
outfits for best
different - Group selfies
occasions
 SELFIES AS TACTIC LABOR

• Apart from perfect selfies: behind the scenes selfies to seem

more authentic; telling private things
 especially when it comes to commercial selfies
• Selfies in a defensive way, as a way of storytelling and
reacting on rumors
• In commercial selfies: descriptions often written by
managers  because they have strict guidelines what to say
about a brand
 CONCLUSION

• Good selfies take time and work (especially those being used for commercial purposes)
• Selfies as a vehicle to place advertisments: Influencers as relatable people, seem authentic, customers
have more trust in the products because they trust their idols
• Influencers use selfies for self-branding, financial gains (through commercial posts) and self-
actualizing purposes
 Underestimated power of selfies (subversive frivolity)