The Incorporated Society For British Advertisers has launched a code of conduct specific to influence marketing, highlighting the need for responsible advertising guidelines in a relatively new and highly effective field of advertising.
The Code of Conduct itself was designed by members of the ISBA in conjunction with influencers and talent agencies that specialise in influencer marketing, based on three main aims:
- Driving Transparency – Inspired by the successful FTC guidelines on sponsored posts and videos, the code emphasises the need for disclosure and ethical advertising production.
- Drive Authenticity – The code encourages honesty from influencers, promotes inclusion and diversity and helps to support their wellbeing.
- Drive Collaboration – The code sets out the roles brands, agencies and talents will play in advertising campaigns and improve clarity with regards to Key Performance Indicators and Return On Investment.
The code is a voluntary guide to best practices in the industry and for many influencers and brands will change little to nothing about how they actually present products.
Honesty is always the best way for influencers to promote products and the focus of agencies and brands is to find people who align the best with a brand’s values and become natural advocates.
The ISBA intends for the Code to become an industry standard and has noted that it is possible for it to be added to legal contracts in the future.
Many large brands have already become signatories of the Code, including Tesco, LG, Lidl, L’Oreal and Pepsico as well as many influencers. This could help to quickly encourage future widespread support going forward for influencers and brands of all sizes and industries.
