Rise of the Deinfluencer
Over the last couple of months there has been a rising trend of 'Deinfluencers' on social media as a backlash against over consumption. These individuals produce content aimed at convincing people to reduce their spending by not falling for every online trend or new must-have product that comes along.
This got me thinking... could the social media watch community ever have a deinfluencer?
I know many of us say we are not influenced by what we see on social media, and that we make our own decisions, but I find it hard to believe that online reviews play no part at all in our choices.
If all watch social media ceased to exist I would put good money on there being a dramatic decrease in watch purchases!
So would a watch deinfluencer be a good addition to the community?
A rational counter balance to the never-ending stream of new releases.
Someone who goes out of their way to roast watches in an attempt to curb purchasing.
Like ArchieLuxury, except with class and humour.
Or do we essentially just want social media to collude in our irrational decisions to buy yet another black dial diver and normalise our ridiculous spending habits?
Could the WC community handle 'Deinfluencer' posts???
(Don't ask me why a deinfluencer would look like Robin Hood)
Edit: Let's see who's brave enough.
Part-time 'writter' @ The Escapement Room, the NSFW watch enthusiasts blog. www.theescapementroom.com/
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People will rationalize what they want to do anyway. If all reviews went away, that would decrease awareness, and probably sales of most watches. But I suspect trying to dissuade someone from buying a toy they already want would have little effect.
Have a buddy who is a professor. Back when we went to school together, he was Mr. Anti-Consumption. Nowadays...
He teaches a bunch of college freshman biology 101
End of semester presentations, and this one student is presenting a slide show about his time in Mongolia
Throws up a slide showing the yurts that the Mongolians live in...
Says something like, "This is how we should all be living... soulfully"
My buddy says he almost blurted out, "Ain't nothing stopping you from moving there and living like that, man!"
"Good thing I bit my tongue... even with tenure, I'm sure I would have gotten fired"
I'm selling my watch collection and moving to Xinjiang. Once ate goat brain soup there. Weirdly, it was delicious. And... soulful...
Interesting post for sure. My personal take is the economy is dicey right now. The Flex culture will appear eye rolling intolerable if/when the economy gets worse. When Flexing luxury items is sickening there isn't much room for the Social Media Pooh Pooh crowd that love to dump on every luxury item. I suspect this bunch has never seen , nor touched, any of the items that they crap on. With those two groups of Influencers hushed by a cold economy that only leaves room for a guru sect encouraging us all to walk the earth as shirtless shamans wanting for none of the trappings of earth. Ok, maybe not shirtless - existing on a Universal Income stipend, moms old MacBook and cheap coffee at an Internet Cafe. These may very well be the same people who were flexen and Pooh poohing a few months before. It's all just an uneducated notion. I unplugged from all Social Media years ago. Watch Crunch is the only version of Social Media I have and I love it!
I closed all social media accounts 3 years ago. I just recently joined WC because I needed more ,diverse opinions on the hobby. Also to learn more about horology I may not find on my own. I always welcome someone else's point of view. I might learn something. Regarding enfluencers and now denfluencers I can see through them. Just background noise. History has had them and the future is no different.
Let them exist and do listen to what they say so you can educate yourself about them and what they represent. Knowledge is power.
Cheers!
Weirdly the more people that tells me No or don’t buy it the more I want to buy it 😂…and the more people love a watch and gives it praises the more I don’t like it… maybe I should talk to my shrink about this…
I havent seen one of these deinfluencer, is it one of the minimalism channel? I think it is probably good to balance our mind for overconsumption. Sometimes it is nice to enjoy and appreciate what we already have
Weirdly the more people that tells me No or don’t buy it the more I want to buy it 😂…and the more people love a watch and gives it praises the more I don’t like it… maybe I should talk to my shrink about this…
Honeymoon watch?? Please 😂
Honeymoon watch?? Please 😂
Yeah it’s a must! Hahaha!! Preferably with 300m WR
I havent seen one of these deinfluencer, is it one of the minimalism channel? I think it is probably good to balance our mind for overconsumption. Sometimes it is nice to enjoy and appreciate what we already have
I think it's more TikTok.
There is a link about it in the post and here:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/15/tiktok-deinfluencers-trend-saving-money
If you're interested
Like the article mentions, it's simply influencers trying to get ahead of the economic trend, and be cool while doing it.
Influencers help brands be seen, so they don't have to rely on huge marketing budgets, and brick-and-mortar store placements. I wouldn't want to go back the "good old days" of needing to have an AD nearby, or a paper catalogue. Unless you live in a large center you'd never be exposed to lots of interesting brands, or those brands wouldn't exist because there would be no way to get space on a store shelf.
I think people should likely be more careful about spending, and more honest/careful with the reasons for spending, but I don't want to see "influencers" go away.
I closed all social media accounts 3 years ago. I just recently joined WC because I needed more ,diverse opinions on the hobby. Also to learn more about horology I may not find on my own. I always welcome someone else's point of view. I might learn something. Regarding enfluencers and now denfluencers I can see through them. Just background noise. History has had them and the future is no different.
Let them exist and do listen to what they say so you can educate yourself about them and what they represent. Knowledge is power.
Cheers!
Wise move…I never had any
Wise move…I never had any
@IceCreamMan @jcwatch and @BtownB9
I'm curious, do you count YouTube as social media?
@IceCreamMan @jcwatch and @BtownB9
I'm curious, do you count YouTube as social media?
Not really. I have no interaction with anyone on YouTube. I never respond to any video. For me it's all information use only. I do understand how you can see that point. It's simple, no personal interaction in that environment as I do here and now with you which now is social lol
Wise move…I never had any
Wise man!
Cheers 🍻
Excellent question. I agree with @KristianG on this in that there always has to be an anti movement or backlash to everything. In the case of the de-influencer, I side more with them than any influencer. As I have, for lack of better words, matured on the internet it is easier to see through the influencer culture and avoid it all together. The de-influencer is just a repackaged influencer using the same tactics for their “brand.”
It is a tough balance; On one hand, do we want better watch content? Yes. Can better watch content exist without access to watches? Maybe. Being able to research a watch by watching videos or reading articles is truly helpful. Where the line is drawn is the pay to play model. Many well established channels live on sponsored content, so while they are helpful in seeing a watch, they are less helpful as editorial. To me, this is the difference between watch company sends press pieces to media vs. a company sending a “free” watch (or the more frequent) monetary payment for sponsored content. One is journalism the other influencer. I know it can be hard to decipher the difference, but I am all for the exposure of the influencer that pretends they are not pay to play.
I’ve lost track of the poster.. but enjoyed an essay from one our friends here about his gradually finding more joy in his least pricey watches.
He was selling or setting aside his pricey watches and loving the 200 buck Seiko5 level watches
Still automatic and pretty in the ways we appreciate, but almost no money on the line. I’m not there but his post got me thinking 👍
oh no… 😬 I love black dial dive watches…I think 🤔
But: social media…my university was one of the first to get FB and…let’s just say I could see the writing on the wall and always have stayed away.
But I know everyone’s family work etc life is different and can’t blame people for spending time on social media. And I guess it’s just natural that antisocial media actors crop up within the existing framework. Maybe they will sell me a bracelet that says don’t buy a watch 😅
My opinion is that in the narrow context of the watch enthusiast community a deinfluencer is not going to be very effective, which is probably why no one has been able to point yet to such an online personality. I thought about the reasons for this and so far what I got is as follows:
To be effective there must be an element of hate in a deinfluencing session. The deinfluencer has to generate a negative attitude toward the watch purchasing mentality, a brand or a watch model and make it so that the negatives are important to the viewer. The problem here is that it's not very effective in front of watch enthusiasts because they won't watch someone who bash their hobby in general and if they do watch they are very unlikely to be deinfluenced.
Even when we assume that to appeal to the watch enthusiasts community the deinfluencer will only focus on specific brands or models it does not mean it will be effective. Firstly, there is nothing to prevent the audience from deciding that this guy is right, the brand/model is sh*t, and therefore I'll spend my money elsewhere. So the consumerism is still there, just redirected elsewhere. Secondly, what audience? Why would someone who's not interested in brand X watch a video bashing this brand and be influenced to buy LESS if he wasn't interested in a purchase before he started to watch the bashing, and has anyone heard of someone who's a fan of a brand or a model be deinfluenced by online media? Therefore I think that this is only going to work on those sitting on the fence and I propose that this audience isn't large enough to interest the deinfluencer.
The positive feedback loop. Influencers/deinfluencers are basically the same, they rise and fall on popularity and they are important because other people tells them that they are important, not because of something meaningful they accomplished. This requires a large audience and the watch segment is just that, a segment. A deinfluencer will better satisfy his need to feel and be important by addressing the larger fashion consumers market. Which includes the fashion watch potential buyers. Guess who's not there? Right - the watch enthisiasts.
Of course I may be completely wrong on all three and there is already a deinfluencer in the watch community.
I think ArchiLuxury is the YouTuber you're describing.
If you haven't heard of him then please DON'T go look him up.
He is exactly the hate filled individual you talk about, except he doesn't seem to base his hatred for all watches (except Rolex and high end Swiss) on anything other than snobbery.
He's weirdly popular though!
You are absolutely right that a deinfluencer isn't supposed to be saying 'Don't buy X, buy Y instead', they are supposed to encourage less consumption across the board.
I think ArchiLuxury is the YouTuber you're describing.
If you haven't heard of him then please DON'T go look him up.
He is exactly the hate filled individual you talk about, except he doesn't seem to base his hatred for all watches (except Rolex and high end Swiss) on anything other than snobbery.
He's weirdly popular though!
You are absolutely right that a deinfluencer isn't supposed to be saying 'Don't buy X, buy Y instead', they are supposed to encourage less consumption across the board.
I heard of him and I believe I may even have watched 5 seconds of one of his YT videos. I switched him off because I don't like toxic personalities and I because believe that a good roast should be done with style and humor (For reference: J. Clarkson and his 5th gear episode about the crossfire). Beside, I'm allergic to the Luxury word.
Have you considered that watch enthusiasts don't consider their hobby as "consumerism"? This may be one reason why deinfluencing the watch enthusiast's community isn't going to work because we can't relate to this message.
Would a de- influencer survive on here,would you all enjoy your latest gem been roasted in front of your peers and is there any need when there's plenty of balanced content out there to help us along with our choices, and that's the choice we make when we watch certain u tubers etc, most will look for a balanced review, good n bad points raised.
People on here do raise the negatives, and thats great, its discussion and its what we do. In the greater context of the world oh there's plenty telling us not to buy/consume, the de-influencers. Do we take any notice, nah do we hell.
If one wants to step up and be watch crunches very own de-influencer, go for it and if its totally outrageous and over the top all the better. And talking of that, my little alter ego is feeling a bit fractious this morning and says he wants a go...
Mr P Chu says
"You only need 2 watches one for work,one for play. Any more and that's just STOOPID!!! And on here your all STOOPID".
There, did that work,did that de-influence you ( and I'm definitely going to get de-influenced when she sees the hole in the curtains).
It takes very little to de-influence me: Just show me a sotc of majority rolex and omega. Heck, i always stop scrolling watch stuff the minute i see a picture of a submariner and speedie side-by-side, or vintage watches.
“i d0nT gIvE a… “ literally only buys the brands that has heavy influence on the watch market and the watch community itself from you guessed it, watch marketing ie influencing. Relax, no one cares
I have to agree with @JaeBust here, there is no such thing as a deinfluencer. There's only influencing in one way or the opposite way, still influencing. Anyone who owns more than one watch has been influenced either wholly or slightly, saying you're not is only kidding yourself.
But I also have to agree with you in the sense we should have a ying and yang and it should all be in good fun. Despite @Porthole shading on Seiko I sustain that I love my sub-par QC watches. Telling Chris, in the most polite way, to fly a kite is in fact taking his own advice hahaha.
I attempted a similar feat (shameless plug coming in...) with my own posts on modern vintage dive watches. I put 4 watches against eachother and mercilessly criticised 3 while praising only one. In reality I like all the watches, and the whole vintage dive watch scene is a trend itself, but the point was really to justify to myself in a comical way why I should only buy one not all. No one seemed to take it the wrong way.
Just stear clear of Grand Seiko, I always see at least one heated argument on my posts haha.
Not sure about "de-influencers" per se, but I do think that it's time we call out and abandon click bait content, no matter the platform. You know it when you see the title of the content usually. And I've no issue with influencers being called out for posting click-baity tropes or over-the-top promos of new releases. I've seen some examples recently in the camera/streetphotography community and welcome the criticism I've seen some folks level on fellow "influencers" accordingly.
Stop clicking the bait and they'll stop creating it. I appreciate the content creators that strive for creativity in a crowded market and guys like our own @Max who put real effort into production. Another example is fortnine in the motorcycle community, they rock because they strive to stand out rather than blend in.
I think ArchiLuxury is the YouTuber you're describing.
If you haven't heard of him then please DON'T go look him up.
He is exactly the hate filled individual you talk about, except he doesn't seem to base his hatred for all watches (except Rolex and high end Swiss) on anything other than snobbery.
He's weirdly popular though!
You are absolutely right that a deinfluencer isn't supposed to be saying 'Don't buy X, buy Y instead', they are supposed to encourage less consumption across the board.
Wondered how long before someone mentioned Rolex 😜,I'm afraid influencer's are everywhere my previous gym was full of people recording themselves working out ,as long as their is the internet people will find a way to promote themselves or make money , perhaps some people want their 15 minutes of fame
I’d like to think I’m in that vein of thought. I’m in favor of doing more with the watch you have, over doing less by spending on watches 🤷🏻♂️. I would say you can’t take it when you go….but then again some get buried with their watch.
This is bizarre, truly.
I am unfamiliar with all of these products, except the AirPods which I have heard of. There is something very wrong when society on a large scale needs the internet to prevent one from buying all this on impulse.
If I'm not mistaken @Porthole & @Aurelian are the ambassadors of Watchrunch's "Just Say No" campaign.
I think guys like the Time Teller and You’re Terrific are the closest thing in the watch space. Fed also is a great one.
Bring on deinfluencer posts! Would love to have my collection roasted like a stuck pig....lol!