Buzz marketing techniques illegal from May, IPA warns...
MediaComment: The IPA’s legal team are warning that from May 26 th, three types of buzz marketing are to be made illegal. Any advertiser, agency or third party (acting on behalf of either) will be breaking the law if they: ‘seed positive messages about a brand in a blog without making it clear the message has been created by, or on behalf of, the brand’, ‘use "buzz marketing" specialists to talk to potential consumers in social situations without disclosing they are acting as brand advocates’ or ‘seed viral ads on the internet in a manner that implies they are from a member of the public’.
Due to the sheer scale of policing this sort of activity, these new regulations will be difficult to enforce, however the IPA warns that anyone caught purposely flouting the new regulations will face prosecution. Advertisers and agencies must ensure their people don’t unknowingly break the law, so to prevent this from occurring, they must ensure all staff are aware of the new upcoming regulations. If members of staff take part in any form of social media involving brands with which they have a direct or indirect interest, they know they must declare their interest before recommending the brand or forwarding viral advertising produced by the advertiser or agency. And buzz marketing specialists must ensure all viral assets they produce, and any brand advocacy activity they plan, is clearly and consistently identified as advertiser/agency funded.
jerry.lloyd-williams@mediacom.com
Surge in TV viewing
MediaComment: The last 6 weeks have seen a huge surge in TV viewing. A combination of the poor weather (compared to a heatwave last year!), strong programming (Britain's Got Talent, Benidorm and Pushing Daisies), and possibly the start of consumers tightening belts and spending less on leisure, have led to dramatic year-on-year increases in viewing. We welcome these robust audience figures, especially from ITV. This drives real value and effectiveness in our market. More people are watching key programming, making driving coverage for advertisers more cost effective.
