Almost half of influencer advertisement content is not appropriately tagged.
That's according to the Consumer Protection Commission.
Its research found one in ten people trust influencers, but people said they have more faith in the ones they actually follow.
It noticed poor levels of labelling and many consumers felt they were misled when making a purchase from an promotion.
Orla Twomey is the chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority - she says nobody likes to feel like they're being fleeced:
"None of us like to think someone is trying to hoodwink us!"
Ultimately, Orla says, it is down to the influencer or the brand to - if they're advertising - they make that clear.
"When an influencer is talking organically, that's part of what they do, if they don't say it's an ad people will understand them."
"That's if they consistently say it is an ad, when it is an ad."
People who took part in the CCPC research had special worries about topics like cryptocurrency and other financial products.
That was especially when the influencer in question was not a financial expert.
What Are The Rules?
The ASAI's guidance note says ads should be clearly marked, advertisers should be clearly identifiable and not hidden.
"Where celebrities are sponsored by brands or paid directly to promote a brand’s products, it must be clear that
their posts are marketing communications."
Most influencers tag their posts with #ad or #paidpromotion or even sometimes #gifted to make it clear what is going on.
Others, and this is common on YouTube, will specifically say a product has been loaned to them for free for the purposes of a review.
Get In Trouble
The Advertising Standards Authority has looked into posts before, and it has responded to complaints.
Orla Twomey says all of those decisions are published, and sent to media like Spin.
Then they become a topic of conversation.
"There is a real brand reputation issue here that brands and influencers need to be aware of," Orla says.
Guidance
In response to this research project, the Advertising Standards Authority and the CCPC will work together to help influencers and brands follow the rules.
