At an event that brought together various content creators, including national YouTubers, vloggers and TikTokers, the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) presented the “Advertising Guide for Influencers.”
This educational document, prepared by the Commission for the Control of Unfair Competition (CCD) of Indecopi, aims to promote the responsible use of advertising by influencers on digital platforms, especially on social networks.
The guide seeks to guide influencers on how to transparently disseminate information related to the products or services they share with their followers. Indecopi highlights the importance of this transparency, since many of these publications could be considered advertising, which could lead to violations if not handled properly.
The document covers a series of basic concepts about advertising, highlighting the importance of respecting fair competition in digital environments. It also includes key aspects such as current legislation, applicable sanctions and practical recommendations so that influencers can be honest with their followers every time they share sponsored content.
The main recommendations of the guide include:
- Explicitly mention in your posts, when appropriate, the word “advertising” or “contracted advertisement”, using tags or hashtags.
- Avoid using ambiguous references such as “Thank you Company X!”, “Ambassador”, “Partner”, “Company X”, “#Publi” or “#Ad”.
- Make sure that the publication includes advertising warnings corresponding to the type of product or service advertised, such as in the case of alcoholic beverages or betting houses.
- In testimonial advertising, basing opinions or testimonials on authentic and recent experiences.
- Create original content without violating intellectual property rights, avoiding unauthorized use of brands, songs, images or videos.
During the presentation, Indecopi specialists offered talks on the importance of respecting copyright on digital platforms. They also discussed the advantages of registering trademarks to prevent third parties from taking advantage of the reputation and work of influencers by positioning their brands among their followers.
