UK social media campaigns to be regulated by ASA: Less of the jiggery pokery

News came out today that from September, social media campaigns in the UK may need to adhere to an extension of paid advertising regulatory frameworks from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). In other words, there could be a bunch of new rules to govern what goes on in social media marketing. 

What does this mean for the social media sphere? Here at 33 we've got a heritage in public relations, which means (for reputable practitioners at least) campaigns always lean on the whiter than white side of the transparency, honesty and sensibility balance. It's all about managing reputations, so there's not so much of the shortcuts to get extra clicks or mentions. Less of the jiggery pokery, to use the scientific terminology.

Social media however is full of jiggery pokery, and I'm sure that if the ASA starts influencing social media marketing that it will have a real impact on some high-profile campaigns. 

Comments

[Toby Cummins]

Sceptical at best.

[K McAuley]

I agree that social media is full of "jiggery pokery" and that to put any sort of tight constraints on it simply removes any sort of fun that one would relate with social media. By making it more serious it could in fact result in people switching off and therefore your message will reach no one.