"Social media is just a phrase for the internet" as stated by marketing superior
and this statement is especially true amongst the next generation. It appears at the very least, the old ways model scouts have been doing business are on the way out, and their profession appears to be changing for good. Exactly how you feel about that probably depends on your opinion of the old-school fashion industry, new comers have recently getting a lot of backlash by the
however although many in the fashion and modelling world don't like the way the world is moving, it’s pretty safe to say there are going to be some winners and some losers…
But why the sudden change? One word:
Instagram. The next wave is a digital native generation of tech-savvy, iPhone-loving, selfie-sharing picture takers, 32% of whom believe that Instagram is now the “most important social media network” in the world and with
snapchat being close behind, with more than 100 million videos viewed daily and 75% of users being under 30, it is no wonder the modelling industry has shifted indelibly. New talent is no longer found on the streets of trendy city districts, but instead through the comments and hashtags of your daily feed.
Like so many other professions, scouting is increasingly a digital-only practice, with people whose entire job it is to sit and trawl the ‘gram for prospective new accounts. In December 2014 fashion leviathan IMG Models even launched a talent scouting campaign called
We Love Your Genes, where young girls/ potential male models could post selfies using their hashtag to make the scouting job easier. As of today, it has been used almost
635,000 times.
But Instagram isn't just used as a scouting diverse, it is now an extension on a models portfolio and there social influence. Being a model agency we are aware that the more followers a model has and how high there interaction rate is, this is now one of the leading influences in booking a job.
Even more pervasive is how the form of Instagram itself – traditionally a square photo-format with an established set of stock poses – has started informing how brands approach their photography and branding. This so-called “Instagram effect” refers to a shift in both art direction and marketing strategy away from the exclusive and other-worldy feel of traditional fashion advertising, towards a more normal and supposedly “authentic” look. Check out the way
Instagram has affected the modelling industry and what you have to in order to be scouted on the web,
Instagram has rapidly evolved into an interactive digital portfolio for aspiring models. Speaking from an agency we see it as a much more, “natural” insight into not only a person’s appearance, but their everyday lifestyle as well; where they shop, party etc. With just a few taps, a scout can see the way you looked at your brothers wedding, check you out nailing tourist snaps or find out what you wore while partying at a music festival. Instagram’s inmodest nature, where nobody really knows who is looking at or watching whom, takes the conventional undercover model search and amps it up considerably, allowing brands to know huge amounts about their prospective 'muse' before even meeting them.
#willyscouts, #meetsupremeteam, #be1scoutme,
#immgirlsdoitbetter there are many hashtags currently used by leading modelling agencies who are on the look for the next big thing, but when it comes to approaching agencies via social media there are a number of turn offs...
1.) Never create a side account dedicated to your modelling career,
2.) Know what you are tagging,
There are millions of people on Instagram and some of them are probably just like you, hoping to get discovered by a modelling agency. That is why you shouldn't be afraid to use as many hashtags as you can, because they were made for the sole purpose of tagging your photos so people can discover it. But make sure you are using the right hashtags e.g not posing having a snap on the beach and hastagging #summer - its very unlikely model scouts will be checking this out! When hash tagging its best to hashtag your existing photos, that show the way you look. People who scout for modelling agencies are very experienced, and can spot a potential model bundled up in heavy clothes in the middle of the snowstorm, such as Aly El. 2016 marking her 12th year in the business , she explains “you just have to be diligent in figuring out what they really look like… this means closely examining photos for sought-after traits like height and a symmetrical face.” so don’t worry- they can see your potential even in those ordinary, everyday photos.
An important thing to remember is to always check if the person that reached out to you, after seeing your photos, is a legitimate representative of an agency. You can check this by contacting the agency via their official e-mail address (which you may find on their website), but usually a scout that reaches out to you will send you their business e-mail address in order to further communication with you - If at
IMM we love your look we will direct message you with more information and provide you with one of the teams email address in order for you to discuss a meeting, want to know the next step? Then check out our modelling guide
here.
Now that you are aware of how the scouting process works,
IMM uncover what other ways Instagram has affected the modelling industry and if # for a modelling contact comes with potential consequences.
Its Global Reach
With more than 75% of Instagram's users coming from outside of the United States, Instagram’s global reach means model scouts no longer need to fly across the world and wander the streets of a country when looking for new talent. Noah Shelley, a top casting director at Dazed and Confused, believes “street-casting” has become less and less effective. He argues, “In New York, it’s very difficult. If you’re attractive, if you’re cool and you’re scouted in Soho by someone from my team, then you’re probably already a model… it’s very hard to discover raw talent on the street anymore. I find that my time is better used if I actually spend four or five hours on the internet or on Instagram than spending four or five hours walking around in the snow". The first designer to back the virtual reality scouting process was Marc Jacobs, using the app to cast for there 2015 campaign Nadia Rahmat, a Singaporean with Arab and Indian heritage, won the contest and was chosen out of 50,000 people. Rahmat has since spoken out on how social media is breaking down international boundaries that were previously almost impenetrable, telling the AFP in February, “I don’t think I would have received the opportunity if not for social media. It is a revolutionary platform.”
The girl behind the shot,
In recent years Kendall Jenner has become a household name, up into recently after
deleting her instagram - her posts were gaining a minimum of 1.2 million likes, the most reaching 3.5 million. It is no wonder brands flock to the Jenner image, thanks to the strength of her personal brand and strong connection with her followers; brands know that if they secure the use of models like her, they will secure millions of potential customers willing to follow her lead. However while the use of popular spokespeople to push product is hardly new, Jenner and other A-list Insta-talent like Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Baldwin and Cara Delevingne have reinvented the practice in a whole new way. By sharing everyday aspects of their lives — everything from “woke up like this” morning shots to the scruffy realities of airline travel and hanging out with friends in there exclusive #squads — as well as their more showbiz moments, these girls invite their audiences “behind the scenes” everyday. In doing so, they increases their charm and appeal in a way traditional supermodels never could; they appear normal yet superhuman all at the same time i.e they are relatable and a inspiration all at once. However the one truth about Instagram; is nothing is at it seems...
Backlash
Yet, with such rapid success inevitably comes some level of backlash, and its not surprising that the notion of finding and using “real people” in campaigns is already showing some signs of cliché. Insta-hottie Ben Nordberg, the pro skateboarder turned model who landed the massive DKNY campaign the other year, is now known as the “skateboard kid,” and numerous amount of brands have fallen in line to ape his success. You may also of have heard of the model
Essena O’Neill. Her name is now synonymous with the accusations of Instagram not being “real life,” but rather a platform that, according to research conducted by the Oxford Internet Institute, makes users feel “11% worse about their lives compared to all other social media platforms.”In addition, talking to our model
Holly she talks about the negative effects of Instagram to those suffering with
body dysmorphia, "If I see a bikini post on Instagram, I'll zoom past it or I'll even sometimes un-follow the account if I think that it's going to effect me that much." Former Instagram Model O’Neill gained infamy throughout the internet and beyond after she amended the captions on various images exposing the grim and less-than-glamorous reality behind them, before quitting the industry altogether. On a beach photo showing her in a meditation-like pose, she commented “there is nothing zen about trying to look zen, taking a photo of you trying to be zen and proving your zen on Instagram.” This contrived concept of perfection as a means of personal validation is, justifiably, one of Instagram’s most common criticisms — a level of scrutiny that traditional advertising often escapes. And this perhaps one of the largest ways the social network has changed the modelling industry: somewhere along the line, people now expect fashion advertising to be real, genuine and above all 'authentic' making it both a powerful and very troubling medium.
