Six advertisements posted by influencer Grace Beverley have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for not being properly disclosed as ads. The banned ads, consisting of two Instagram ads in the form of reels and four TikTok ads, were promoting Tala, the fitness clothing brand Beverley founded in 2019.
Despite Beverley owning the brand and having one million Instagram followers, the ASA ruled that the ads violated the CAP code, which requires clear labeling of paid-for content. Miles Lockwood, director of complaints and investigations at the ASA, emphasized the importance of transparent advertising, stating that influencers must visibly mark their ads to avoid confusion among viewers. Social media advertising laws are becoming stricter to ensure consumers are not misled by undisclosed promotions.
Beverley, who also owns the fitness supplements brand Shreddy and the planner business The Productivity Method, acknowledged the ASA’s decision and expressed a desire for clearer guidelines on how business owners can discuss their work online without misleading consumers.
The issue of cross-pollination, where business owners promote their brands on personal social media accounts, was central to the case. Tala argued that the Instagram ads and TikTok ads did not require the “#ad” label because Beverley’s ownership of the brand was evident through her language and association with the products. However, the ASA maintained that all marketing communications must be obviously identifiable, regardless of the influencer’s commercial interest in the brand.
According to ASA guidelines published in 2023, influencers and brand owners must clearly indicate when they are promoting their own products, even if the content is created in a non-paid-for space. In response to the ruling, all social media posts by Beverley about Tala must now include a clear marker, such as “#ad,” to ensure compliance with advertising standards. This is crucial as social media advertising laws continue to evolve to protect consumers.
This ruling by the ASA sets a precedent for influencer marketing, emphasizing the importance of transparency and disclosure in online advertising. As social media continues to play a significant role in shaping consumer behavior, regulatory bodies are increasingly vigilant about ensuring that advertising standards are upheld, particularly in cases where influencers have a commercial interest in the promoted brands. The decision underscores the need for influencers and brand owners alike to adhere to advertising guidelines to maintain trust and integrity with their audiences. This vigilance is especially pertinent for platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where influencer marketing is prevalent, and the line between organic content and advertising can often be blurred.
