New Delhi: Bollywood celebrities such as Jaqueline Fernandez and Ranveer Singh along with the coupling of popular digital content creators have been found violating advertising guidelines for social media influencers.
Guidelines issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) which began to take effect in June of the state that all paid social media posts by virtual influencers must bring the label disclosure which clearly identifies them as advertisements.
An Instagram post by Virat Kohli, for example, where the cricket player talks about his love for a pair of sneakers, the countries at the beginning that it is “a paid partnership with Puma”.
Some top celebrities in India began using similar rejection after the kicking guidelines.
In addition, ASCI said the disclosure must be upfront and so prominent so that they missed by the average consumer.
Non-compliant influencers found advertising products from several brands including Nykaa, MyNtra, Radisson Hotel Group, Manyavar and Cosmetic Colorbar, according to ASCI.
“I only promote and talk about brands I believe and personally use and do what I do because I like to do it,” Celebrity style stylists and luxury consultants, Sonam Babani, who appeared between influencers in the non-compliant list, told TII.
“I have an open conversation with my followers and always give honest opinions when they reach to me and they will guarantee for it!” A significant percentage of the influence of social media in India, however, is compliant.
About 80% of them voluntarily resigned or changed their posts when they were told that they had violated the guidelines, showed a report by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
Fashion and lifestyle, cosmetics, food and beverages and personal care are four categories that witness the maximum number of paid posts without disclosure.
Sweetha Kapoor, Secretary General at ASCI, told TII that complaints about repeated violators would increase to sector regulators such as FSSAI, Ayush, Doca, FDA and MIB.
“Overall compliance both in ASCI above 95-97%.
We hope that compliance influencers also to reach that level immediately, “he said.