New ad guidelines for video bloggers

The new guidance comes in response to calls for greater clarity from vloggers themselves about when content in their videos is classed as advertising and follows an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling last year in which several sponsored vlogs (featuring brands such as Oreo and P&G) were found to be misleading because they did not make clear before consumers engaged with the videos that they were ads.

Similarly, vloggers advertising their own products need to make viewers aware of this before they begin watching, via the title of the video. The guidance includes advice on advertorial-style vlogs, online marketing collaboration with a brand, product placement, and vloggers selling their own products.

The UK’s Committee of Advertising Practice (Cap) has published new guidelines for video bloggers who enter marketing relationships with brands. The Guardian adds that the ASA will also be reaching out to PR firms, with which it does not usually interact.

“If a vlogger is paid to promote a product or service and an advertiser controls the message then it becomes an ad. When that happens, like all advertisers, vloggers must be upfront and clearly signpost that they’re advertising”, said the ASA. The organisation said that it would also contact major brands and advertising agencies to inform them on the new state of play. They can either generate revenue through adverts posted before, during or after their video, or, some of the most popular vloggers are paid by brands to promote their products.

Editor of online vlogger magazine TenEighty.com Alex Brinnand says vloggers will probably benefit from the clarifications.

CAP’s infographic for vloggers, released today.

They are increasingly viewed as role models by teenagers, according to Your Life, a government-backed campaign encouraging young people to choose maths and physics at A-level. Parts of the website may not work as expected without them.

“As a result, YouTube is now the biggest platform for teenagers, which is why anyone with a message for a teenage audience must address them on YouTube”.