Is there such a thing as "ethical economics" in product advertising? Product advertising is all about convincing the consumers of their need for a product and compelling them to make a purchase. In short, product advertising is about making money. In our current, and ever-changing social media world, companies can get their product in front of the consumer at the drop of a hat. However, how they go about getting their product in front of their audience is more important than the product itself.
Industry Standards
"If consumers are unaware of the 'news' or 'entertainment' they are viewing is advertising, they are being misled and being treated unethically" (Snyder, 2011). No one wants to ever feel misled or used. No one wants their heartstrings tugged on only to find out in the end that it was for a company's monetary gain. Many industries have established "industry standards", advertising and public relations should be no different.
I believe that the established set of codes set out by both the AAF and PRSA are important for the sake of every consumer. The standards establish transparency which puts the consumer in the driver seat and allows them to decide what to do with the emotion the advertisement may have evoked. Whether that is purchasing a product or giving monetarily to a cause, the consumer is in control of their actions.
Image: Tamera Mowry Instagram (@tameramowrytwo)
Product Advertising Ethics in Practice: Instagram & YouTube
Principle 3 in the Principles and Practices for Advertising Ethics states, "Advertisers should clearly distinguish advertising, public relations and corporate communications from news and editorial content and entertainment, both online and offline."
(Nearly) Gone are the days of companies hiring talent to physically come to set for a product shoot that consumers will see later in a magazine, commercial, or even the company's social media page. Instead, they have given content creators and social media influencers a shared seat at the table and have allowed them to produce ads that speak directly to their audiences (followers).
The picture above is an example. Actress, Tamera Mowry, most known for her role with her twin sister in 90's sitcom Sister Sister, and her daughter Ariah pose in their home for an ad for Ivory Soap. Mowry (and potentially together with her team) conceptualized an image that they knew would resonate with her followers and created an ad. If you look closely at the image you will see at the very top, under her username, it says "Paid partnership with ivory soap" which links the consumer, the viewer in this case, directly to the Ivory Soap Instagram page. Keeping with the principles and practices for advertising ethics, Instagram has made it that influencers can tag and denote when a post is a paid partnership with a company.
As a follower of Tamera Mowry on social media, that "Paid Partnership" indicator allowed me to immediately know that the image I was viewing was staged. It also allowed me to choose how I would consume the information. While the caption may have validity to it, I know that it was written for the purpose of promoting the product. Knowing this before viewing the content gave me the liberty to choose whether I would double tap to like the content or even take the time to read it. I did neither the first time I came across the post.
YouTube is slightly different than Instagram. Instead of a video's title stating that it's a paid partnership with a company, the video will have a title that draws the viewer and somewhere within the video, the content creator will mention that their video is sponsored by a company. Below is an example from YouTuber, Parker Ferris who made a video for the company, Hello Fresh.
Source: YouTube - Parker Ferris
As a social media user and a regular YouTube watcher, I see the ethic codes in practice everywhere I look. I couldn't say that was the case a few years ago. In the past Influencers promoted products without ever stating if the product was gifted to them or if it was in fact a paid partnership. It is now expected for YouTubers to state whether they are partnering with a company. In fact, the rules have become so strict that when an Influencers does genuinely use a product and them mentioning it is not sponsored, you will often hear the phrase "not sponsored".
There are ethical ways to advertise. Using ethical codes and established rules is not only important for the consumer, but for everyone involved. It builds trust between them, the person promoting the item, and the company creating the product which is a win for everyone involved.
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your article. I liked how you mentioned the differences on different social media platforms and how the companies handle it. I agree that if it is not clearly known that an article is sponsored than the post can be damaging to the consumer. I found it interesting how you mentioned that influencer's are the new go to now when it comes to product advertising. I also agree that they should be held at the same industry standard as advertising and public relations.
Best,
Hunter