To ensure influencers understand the rules and principles of responsible advertising, EASA and its network of self-regulatory organisations have developed the Influencer Marketing Standards Training (IMST) and the subsequent Certification for Responsible Influencer Marketing. These two components are designed to work together: the IMST is a fast, accessible, and affordable training program for influencers and content creators across Europe. It equips them with the necessary knowledge of advertising standards.
The Certification for Responsible Influencer Marketing, the second step, monitors the work of influencers who have completed the training to ensure they comply with the rules they have learned. This process uses artificial intelligence to regularly review the publications of certified influencers.
The Influencer Marketing Standards Training
The IMST training courses are created and managed by the local Self-Regulatory Organisations and/or in partnership with their stakeholders. Five countries have already launched their course (below), while other SROs are currently developing theirs. It provides them with the relevant know-how about advertising standards that they need, raising awareness about responsible marketing practices, and therefore helping them communicate responsibly.
- The IMST is divided into modules that explain the main principles and rules applicable in each local market, and translated into the local language
- The content goes through all the relevant fundamental principles of responsible advertising, such as transparency disclosure, non-misleading claims, legal and ethical advertising, as well as social responsibility, and covers other important elements such as children and teens, safety, and sustainability
- A test at the end of the course leads to a successful training completion document.
The following SROs are currently offering a training:
- Austria (Österreichischer Werberat) | #ethicalAD
- France (Autorité de régulation professionnelle de la publicité) | Certificat de l’Influence Responsable
- Germany (Deutscher Werberat/ZAW) | Influencer Training
- The Netherlands (Stichting Reclame Code) | Influencerregels.com
- Turkey (RÖK) | Sosyal Medya Etkileyicileri Eğitimi
The Certification for Responsible Influencer Marketing
The Certification for Responsible Influencer Marketing is the second step. It involves, using artificial intelligence, a regular monitoring of the publications made by certified influencers that have successfully completed the IMST. Following the accession of Google, the first digital player to join the Alliance end of 2020, EASA has been able to provide financial support to SROs wishing to implement the monitoring of online advertising, including that of influencers, as in this case. Since 2020, 13 SROs have already launched at least one ad hoc data-driven monitoring of online advertising.
