After listening to the Bornstein lecture about compliance in public relations, the two main topics that I was able to discern were the lack of disclosure with advertising and the occasionally dangerous rise of social media and the way both have impacted advertising and compliance.
The lack of disclosure in advertising occurs when those that are promoting a brand or product do not make it known that they are being paid to do so, but rather make it look like the opinion is their own.
The rise of social media has simply been the growing popularity of influencers posting about things that they are paid to promote, whether it’s a car, a beauty product, or even a protein shake.
The most prominent ethical issue is that the influencers on social media are not sharing with their thousands or even millions of followers that they are being compensated to say that a product is great or works well. This allows the consumer (follower) to want to buy the product.
Alan Marcus called this “perceived authenticity”, meaning that it seems that the influencers are posting about the product from the goodness of their heart, not the money in their wallets.
Marcus also added that the FCC updated their advertising guidelines in 2016 due to the rise of social media, saying that all influencers and brand promoters need to include that they are being paid to post about their product or brand. Most commonly, this is done with the influencer adding “#ad” on the end of their Tweet or Instagram photo.
If you are looking at something on social media and cannot discern whether or not it’s an advertisement, always look for product placement or the “#ad” at the end of a post. If that is not present, it is not an ad (although this is highly unlikely) or the influencer is calling his/her ethical choices into concern by not being honest with other potential consumers.
In their book “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR”, Brian Solis and Deirdre K. Breakenridge discuss the necessity of using social media in terms of keeping up to date with new companies and ensuring the success of one’s own brand or personal goals.
“You have to focus on building your relationships and sharing your capabilities and vision within the networks that foster the visibility critical to your real world” (Solis, Breakenridge 167). Even to public relations professionals, the use of social media and the way it impacts ethics is a huge part of our now everyday life.
Ethically, Marcus added that as part of the new and updated FCC regulations, brands will be fined if their influencers do not make it known that they are being paid to share a product, and that disclosure in advertising goes beyond money. Marcus said that honesty and accuracy (two of the most highly valued ethical principles) are a must. This is how you establish credibility.
It’s important to discuss these issues because they are not going away. Social media is only going to get more popular, and brands will continue seeking out more and more popular influencers to promote their products.
I’ve learned to see posts on social media and know that those posting about brands don’t truly just ‘love’ the brands or products- they are getting paid to do so. Now, because of the FCC rules, more and more people have started making it known that it is an ad, and I have more respect for those people. They are taking an ethically firm stand and making it clear that they are a credible source and that the consumer, just like me or you, can trust them in what they are saying.
Solis, B., & Breakenridge, D. (2009). Putting the public back in public relations: How social media is reinventing the aging business of PR. FT Press.