Content marketing is the term for ads that do not directly promote a product but are still able to engage you in a conversation. Recently, the UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) determined that content marketing ads are subject to its regulations. An ASA spokesperson told The Conversation that this decision was made in relation to gambling.
The same rules apply to all advertising, including gambling. So, the statement that we released for the gambling industry reflects the way we would approach content marketing for other industries like alcohol brands or fast-food chains. Our rules apply to the vast majority of social content created by marketers.
This could lead to a significant shift in the type of advertising we see on the internet.
The content marketing trend is sweeping social media. Big names such as supermarket chain Aldi and sports brand Nike are using it to great effect. Forbes Magazine suggests that brands invest up to one-third in this type of advertising. Other research shows the average for North American companies to be 26%. It’s not surprising that this type of advertising is gaining popularity since it produces three times more leads than other forms of marketing and costs only 62% of them.
If you are still unsure what content marketing is, then it’s not by chance. Content marketing ads are meant to be invisible, so you might not even notice that ASOS, a fashion retailer, posted a funny meme.
Content marketing’s main goal is to increase brand recognition and sales. However, it is also a great way to get you to do some work. You can expand the audience of a brand by sharing, liking, or commenting on social media. This may not be the case for a “Buy 2 For 1” supermarket advertisement, but a picture of a cute kitten next to a cool fan during a heat wave could be different.
Content marketing has the same idea as content creation. You will subconsciously connect with the brand, and so will your entire network. It will build a positive connection with the brand. This positive emotion is strengthened every time you see cute or funny content from a brand. This is a very sneaky yet powerful form of marketing.
New Regulations
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), until July 2022, did not recognize content marketing as a type of advertising. Therefore, its regulations did apply to these ads. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) did not acknowledge content marketing as a form of advertising until July 2022. Therefore, its regulations did not apply to such ads.
Regulating social media marketing ads that promote drinking and driving may be a long way from funny cat memes, but it is still important. These posts are misleading because many people do not realize they are advertisements. These posts can bypass the cognition defenses that we all use to prevent us from buying unnecessary things. The effects of the missing link are worse for certain products and services.
Gambling, for instance, is addictive. A traditional gambling advertisement will set off alarms in most people. If gambling companies use content marketing, users will engage with posts without even thinking about it and follow the account. The user will then be exposed to the entire account, not only the memes but also the ads that encourage users to “click here to get a free bet.”
Read more: How children are being targeted with hidden ads on social media
We know that this is happening on a large scale. We have already written for The Conversation about our study of more than 888,000 gambling ads on Twitter. We found that around 40% of those ads were content marketing, and many were highly appealing to children.
The regulator expanded its rules on content marketing after pressure from academic publications, a debate at the UK House of Lords, and an episode of Joe Lycett’s Channel 4 show, Got Your Back. The ASA has now acknowledged that the majority of content-marketing posts are actually ads and that existing advertising codes apply to them.
If you want to see posts like that of the overheated kitten in your feed, they will still be there but must adhere to all regulations. This could prevent gambling, alcohol, or fast food brands from using content marketing. For example, our prior research showed that 11 of 12 gambling posts had a strong appeal to children, which is not allowed by the current regulations for advertisements.
The decision of the regulator on content marketing represents a major shift in advertising laws. The real work is just beginning, as the expansion will also bring up new issues. The enforcement will be difficult because everyone’s feed on social media is different, and users are more likely to share content marketing than advertisers.
The most important question is whether it’s possible, under the new regulations, to share content marketing that’s not clearly recognizable for what it is. Content marketing’s whole purpose is to make us not recognize it. Otherwise, we would not share it. This is a violation of one of the most basic advertising rules. Therefore, all content marketing pieces will need to be clearly marked as “ads” or “sponsored” so we can recognise them.
This regulation may kill content marketing, which we think is a good idea. Although memes can be funny and cute, using them to promote unhealthy foods or gambling services could prove to be deceptive, sneaky, and harmful.