This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
With the rise of social media, becoming an internet celebrity has become a coveted status. However, this comes with its own set of pressures, including the need to maintain a certain number of followers to achieve influencer status.
On July 19, 2019, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued a ruling that anyone with more than 30,000 social media followers is now considered a celebrity – and subject to advertising rules.
The ruling came after a British lifestyle blogger, @ThisMamaLife, was censured for promoting an antihistamine and sleep aid called Phenergan Night Time tablets on Instagram.
According to the ASA, the Instagram advert constituted celebrity endorsement of a medication, which is not allowed under UK law.
Sanofi, the drugmaker, argued that the blogger had 32,000 followers at the time of publishing the content, but the ASA disagreed, stating that the numbers were significantly fewer than those of many celebrities, such as David Beckham.
As a result, the ASA concluded that ThisMamaLife was a celebrity for the purposes of the CAP Code, citing the fact that she had over 30,000 followers, indicating that she had the attention of a significant number of people.
Earlier this year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the ASA created an 'Influencer's Guide', offering advice for influencers concerning paid-for posts.
Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, emphasized the importance of transparency in influencer marketing, stating that 'influencers can have a huge impact on what their fans decide to buy.'
The guidelines were created following a CMA investigation into consumer protection laws and the online world, over concerns that fans often mistake certain posts as a star's personal view.
As a result, 16 celebrities and influencers, including Zoe 'Zoella' Sugg and Alexa Chung, pledged to make it clearer in their posts whether they have received payment to promote products online.
