Updated transparency rules for social media influencers published by Advertising Standards Authority
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have updated their “Influencer’s guide to making clear that ads are ads”, which assists influencers doing promotional work for brands.
On 23rd March, the ASA released their third edition of this guidance document, developed together with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
It aims to be a user-friendly guide simplifying the transparency rules which apply to influencers when posting in collaboration with brands on social media.
When a brand offers a payment or other incentive to an influencer, the influencer is considered connected to the brand and the influencer then becomes responsible for ensuring that any related content is declared as an advertisement. Often influencers don’t realise this includes the promoting their own brand or products.
The intention behind the regulations is that an audience should always be aware when a post goes beyond being a mere personal recommendation and is, in fact, an advertisement. The rules are a legal requirement under consumer protection law, and breaches leave influencers vulnerable to action by the ASA.
The ASA document is reviewed and updated periodically with the view to making the rules accessible and relevant to what’s happening on social media. It is a useful guide, not only to influencers but also to the brands that work with them.
You can see the latest version of the document here.
If you have any questions relating to the guide or influencer marketing generally, please contact us at [email protected]
