Australian influencers will now need to abide by a code of practice
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESS BROHIER
WORDS BY ROSANNA WATTS
An important step forward.
The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AIMCO) has just released its first set of industry guidelines since launching. The Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) established AIMCO in September last year to set guidelines and best practices for businesses engaging in influencer marketing.
The new Australian Influencer Marketing Code of Practice does just that and while it focuses on an Aussie context, it’s made crucial global considerations.
Developed with the input of more than 50 companies, AIMCO’s new guidelines cover influencer vetting, advertising disclosure and contractual matters like content rights and reporting metrics.
The industry recognises transparency is crucial if Influencer Marketing is to mature into a marketing channel of trust and continued growth.
According to the CEO of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), John Broome, “Advertisers are keen to support responsible social influencer marketing. This new code of conduct will help build trust in online advertising through transparency and disclosure. It’s an important step forward for the industry.”
The AIMCO Guiding Council has elected Hypetap founder and CEO Detch Singh as the inaugural chair, with Patrick Whitnall, Publicis Media head of content and sport, and Karan White, Pod Legal business director, serving as deputies.
“Influencer marketing is now widely recognised as a powerful channel, but we have lacked a common language or voice as an industry. AIMCO will be working hard to execute an agenda of strengthening confidence in the category for marketers, creators and the general public,” Singh says.
The AIMCO Guiding Council plans to establish industry working groups to address key focus areas and is inviting additional companies to join and participate, to improve the industry for all.
While the initial focus is the significant adoption of these best practices, further developments will include widespread education and industry training, as well as accountability frameworks.
You can find out more and download the full code of practice here.
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