EASA monitors and promotes best practices and the highest standards in the continuously developing sector of digital and online marketing communications.
The advent of new forms of media linked to the Internet, combined with the rapid uptake of smartphones and connected non-linear TV, influencer marketing and other media devices, has decidedly opened up many new ways to advertise and promote new products and services. New media types and marketing formats are constantly popping up and, as marketers adopt these new trends coupled with the intense and increase use of connected devices particularly by young people, care is especially recommended to ensure that advertising remains responsible.
In addition to ads being legal, decent, honest and truthful and socially responsible marketing communications, (referred to as the general principles) the International Chamber of Commerce’s Advertising and Marketing Communications Code incorporates an entire chapter (Chapter C) setting standards for responsible marketing communications to be followed by all stakeholders involved in advertising practices using digital interactive media.
EASA published its Digital Marketing Communications Best Practice Recommendation back in 2008 to extend the remit of self-regulatory organisations (SROs) to include digital and online marketing communications. It went through two updates with the latest one in 2023 to ensure advertising standards remain effective and that it remain ‘future-proof’ against new technological developments in advertising An emphasis has been placed on the need for all marketing communications to be easily identifiable for consumers, no matter where or how they are displayed in the online space. The updated recommendation is the result of extensive discussions involving self-regulatory organisations, the ad ecosystem (representatives of advertisers, agencies, media, and digital players) as well as key external stakeholders, such as the Commission’s DG CONNECT.
Moreover, to more specifically respond to the challenges or the latest marketing techniques, EASA has published in 2018 its Best Practice Recommendations on Influencer Marketing, later updated in 2023. Influencers are a new actor in the ad industry, and it is vital that their sponsored content is presented and marked as such on all digital media, to guarantee transparency for consumers and distinguish it from their personal and editorial content. Much like any other advertising format, their marketing content is subject to all the applicable rules for responsible advertising.
