Influencer marketing disclosure regulations with Rupa Shah

Episode 9 of the Influencer Marketing Lab podcast where I speak with Rupa Shah of Hashtag Ad Consulting about influencer marketing disclosure regulations

In our interview we cover:

• The niche Rupa identified within the influencer marketing industry which prompted her to leave the Advertising Standards Authority after 13 years
• What a CAP panel is
• The differences between, the Advertising Standards Authority, the Competition and Markets Authority and the Federal Trade Commission
• Which formal body oversees industry errors rather than individual errors
• When might the Independent Press Standards Organisation,  the Financial Conduct Authority or the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency get involved with a post
• Why there are different rules around product placement on the television compared with on social media
• Why more reality TV stars turned influencers seem to be in the ASA's line of fire rather than digital first influencers
• How jurisdiction relates to where the audience you're targeting is based, not where you as a brand is or where the influencer is located
• The importance of  two-way communication between brand and influencer to ensure compliance knowledge is always current

Rupa Shah background

Rupa Shah is Founder and Director of Hashtag Ad Consulting, a London firm that provides guidance and training on the advertising rules to social media and influencer marketers.

Hashtag Ad Consulting takes a unique approach to demystifying advertising regulations across the globe and Rupa works closely with influencers, their managers, ad agencies, tech platforms and brand owners to embed compliance throughout the marketing process and, ultimately, to help brands and influencer marketers protect their reputation.

Prior to founding Hashtag Ad, Rupa trained in law and worked at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for 13 years, where she developed a keen understanding of the regulatory regime for advertising through her investigative, advisory and compliance roles.

As complaints about influencer marketing increased, Rupa developed CAP guidance papers, gave industry presentations and organised seminars on compliance but ultimately recognised the need for a more integrated and tailored approach to avoiding those damaging ASA or FTC rulings … and so, Hashtag Ad was born.

Rupa Shah is a regular guest blogger and podcaster and was recently interviewed by Al Jazeera News on the topic of influencer disclosure and transparency.