It's no secret that half the posts influencers do today are collaborations or advertisements of brands and products they have never used.
To solve the misleading and deceptive problem The Department of Consumer Affairs has come up with guidelines for influencers to start following.
The guidelines state that if a post is a collaboration, ad, advertisement, or sponsored post then it should be clearly mentioned as so.
While some brands already had strict guidelines where the influencer had to collaborate and give credit to said brand for using the product. There were also many brands that would sponsor a particular influencer and would ask them to post but not mention the brand's name or that it was a sponsored post. They want the post to seem “real” and “authentic”
So, now if an influencer posts a paid endorsement without a disclaimer that it is a paid endorsement, will face a fine of 10-50 Lakh.
And for any cheeky influencers out there who were hoping to add a tiny message at the bottom of the post, let me break your dreams. You will be fined if the text is missable. Your disclaimer should be clear bold and not missable.
Another one of the rules by The Department of Consumer Affairs, states that influencers are only allowed to endorse or advertise the products that they themselves have used for a certain period of time.
This will stop influencers from making a quick buck off their audience's vulnerability.
© Vygr Media Private Limited 2022. All Rights Reserved.
