A set of guidelines titled ‘Endorsements Know-hows’ has been released by the India for celebrities, influencers, and virtual influencers on social media platforms. The primary aim of these guidelines is to prevent individuals from misleading their audiences when endorsing products and services, and to ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Act.
To achieve this, the guidelines specify that endorsements should be communicated in simple, clear language, and that terms such as advertisement, sponsored, collaboration, and paid promotion can be used.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has cautioned that individuals should not endorse any product or service that they have not personally used, experienced, or thoroughly investigated. The Department has also noted that there is confusion regarding which disclosure word to use for different types of partnerships. As a result, the guidelines recommend that, for paid or barter brand endorsement, any of the following disclosures may be used: “advertisement,” “ad,” “sponsored,” “collaboration,” or “partnership,” and these terms must be indicated as hashtag or headline text.
The guidelines also advise celebrities and influencers to ensure that advertisers can substantiate any claims made in the advertisement, and to only endorse products and services that they have personally used and experienced.
One idea that can be borrowed from this is the need for guidelines to regulate celebrity and influencer endorsements on social media platforms. Such guidelines can help prevent the spread of misleading information and ensure compliance with consumer protection laws.
For example, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued guidelines for social media endorsements, which require influencers to disclose any material connection they have with the product or service being promoted. This includes financial compensation or gifts received from the brand in exchange for the endorsement.
Another idea that can be borrowed from the response is the importance of using clear and simple language to communicate endorsements to audiences. This can help prevent confusion and ensure that audiences are fully aware of the nature of the endorsement.
For instance, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released guidelines for influencer advertising that require disclosures to be communicated in a clear and prominent manner. This can be achieved through the use of hashtags or other labeling techniques to clearly indicate when a post is sponsored or paid for.
These ideas can be helpful to other countries that are looking to regulate social media endorsements and protect consumers from misleading information. By adopting similar guidelines and regulations, countries can ensure that influencers and celebrities are held accountable for their endorsements and that audiences are fully informed about the nature of the endorsement. This can ultimately lead to greater trust and transparency in social media advertising, which can benefit both consumers and brands alike.