Influencer disclosure: FTC enforcement and beyond

EPW Engage | The present study focuses on the impact that the guidelines issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India and the Indian government's Information technology rules have on influencer advertising on digital media. https://lnkd.in/gJrpTejY

EPW Engage | The present study focuses on the impact that the guidelines issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India and the Indian government's Information technology rules have on influencer advertising on digital media. https://lnkd.in/gJrpTejY

Influencer marketing is EVERYWHERE, yet many shoppers have grown skeptical of glossy, high-follower campaigns. That’s why nanoinfluencers – creators with roughly 1,000 to 10,000 followers – matter right now!! For grocery retail, nanoinfluencers can improve authentic discovery, higher engagement and measurable movement at the shelf. DETAILS ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gbkJ9bkK #grocery #influencers #foodretail

The landscape of influencer marketing is approaching a significant crossroads. Euronews reports that the surge of political influencers has provoked considerable discourse regarding advertising regulations. The impending Digital Fairness Act, which focuses on safeguarding consumers from deceptive influencer marketing, may enforce tighter rules for the sector. Accountability, transparency, and ethical boundaries are becoming central topics in the influencer marketing space as a cause of the proposed legislation changes. The pressing question now for brands and marketing strategists is how these changes will recalibrate the way we manage influencer campaigns. Will more stringent regulations stifle creativity or enhance consumer trust? The conversation isn't just limited to political influencers, as this could set a precedent for a broader spectrum of digital marketing. It's a critical time for marketers to stay informed, revisit their strategies, and prepare for possible disruptions. Navigating these changes could be challenging, but with the right support and knowledge, this shift can be turned into an advantage. In this rapidly evolving digital landscape, staying ahead is crucial. DM me today to get your FREE consultation and to uncover hidden opportunities to boost your marketing strategy.

The creator economy is driving a reallocation of consumer attention and spending power with over three quarters (77%) of UK consumers persuaded to purchase by online influencers, according to data from dentsu. Nearly half (45%) of shoppers say an influencer's relevance to their personal hobbies helps drive engagement, with 44% citing personality and entertainment value as key factors in effective influencer interactions. #RetailNews #Influencers #CreatorEconomy #SocialCommerce Julie Chadwick https://lnkd.in/eK5jQ-ZS

The creator economy is evolving. From tighter budgets to platform shifts, brands are becoming more selective. Creators are thinking beyond social and building long-term business strategies. Digiday explores how influencer marketing is changing in the back half of 2025: https://hubs.ly/Q03Ll9Nw0 #flexoffers #partnermarketing #partnershipmarketing #relationshipmarketing #monetizeyourcontent #affiliatemarketing #creators #influencers #influencerstrategy #influencermarketing

A new reality for marketers: consumers trust traditional advertising more than influencer marketing. Surprised? You shouldn’t be, given the latest National Advertising Division (NAD) study. Despite the industry’s relentless push to “humanize” brands through influencer partnerships, a mere hashtag—#ad or #sponsored—now inspires less trust than the archetypal car commercial. The numbers: 58% have bought via influencers, yet 26% don’t trust influencer marketing (vs. only 11% for regular ads). This isn’t just a preference—it’s an indictment. Dig deeper, and the rabbit hole gets darker. Most consumers (64%) lose trust in influencers when disclosures are missing. Seventy percent say that learning about undisclosed payments sours their sentiment. The kicker? Over half believe that tagging a post as “sponsored” doesn’t actually make the person—or the post—more credible. The strategy of “authenticity-as-transparency” has backfired spectacularly: 80% want honesty and genuine disclosure, but the current conventions deliver neither. Marketers enamored with influencer ROI must now recalibrate. The new calculus isn’t about reach or clicks, but radical transparency—because, as it turns out, consumers are less easily influenced than the influencers themselves. Authenticity can’t be just a line item on a campaign brief; it must be the campaign. Or risk being that brand everyone scrolls past, unimpressed and unconvinced.

From identical unboxing videos to products that flood every feed at once and vanish overnight, influencer culture has become hard to ignore and even harder to trust. Nearly half of consumers say they haven’t bought anything recommended by an influencer in the past year. The sameness is suffocating, credibility is fraying, and audiences are starting to tune out. And yet… brands are doubling down. In 2025, 86% of U.S. marketers plan to partner with influencers, many pouring over 40% of their budgets into these campaigns. So is this the beginning of the end, or just a new chapter? In her latest op-ed, Vana Antonopoulou, our Content & Community Director, argues that we do need influencers but real ones, with clarity and accountability, not algorithms in disguise. Read more: thhttps://lnkd.in/d2BUZHdu #retail #influencers #rlcglobalforum #RLCinsights

Influencer Marketing Should Be A Car That Can Be Driven Anywhere with Kristen Wiley The Watson Weekend hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky discuss recent retail headline recent retail headlines, including Amazon's $2.5 billion lawsuit over alleged Prime subscription deception, Walmart's significant referral traffic from ChatGPT, SEPHORA's new affiliate program aimed at beauty creators, and Meta's talks with Google to enhance ad targeting using AI. They then interview Kristen Wiley, founder and CEO of Statusphere, a platform that enables brands to generate thousands of influencer posts efficiently by focusing on micro-influencers. Kristen shares her background as a creator and marketer, the slow and strategic growth of Statusphere, and the importance of providing a strong creator experience with human support alongside AI tools. She highlights how Statusphere helps brands achieve brand-safe content at scale, integrates influencer marketing across various campaign types, and addresses challenges like attribution and product-market fit. Kristen also discusses the evolving role of AI in marketing, the value of authentic human-generated content, and the potential for influencer data to influence AI models. The episode highlights the increasing importance of creator-driven marketing and the necessity for brands to cultivate communities and employ multi-channel strategies. And a big thanks to our sponsor, Rithum : Costs are up, customers are unpredictable, and AI’s moving at warp speed. But Rithum’s new survey says the real threat isn’t tariffs or inflation — it’s your own internal drag. Slow processes and messy data are holding brands back The Watson Weekend episode, Influencer Marketing Should Be A Car That Can Be Driven Anywhere with Kristen Wiley, can be seen on the RMW Commerce YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eiwb9pJK #watsonweekend #creators #microinfluencer #community

Do you work with influencers/creators? The 4th edition of the Ad Standards Influencer Marketing Steering Committee's 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 is here! This updated edition provides clearer, more comprehensive guidance on: • Disclosing gifted products vs event invitations • Using social media paid partnership tools effectively • Managing affiliate marketing disclosures • Communicating disclosure to child audiences • Using and disclosing AI-generated content and influencers Ensure your campaigns meet the recommended standards for transparency and trust. Download the updated Guidelines: https://lnkd.in/gBWvpyqH Thank you to our Influencer Marketing Steering Committee for their collaboration on this latest edition. #InfluencerMarketing #AdvertisingStandards #TransparencyInAdvertising #SocialMediaMarketing