Realme-Flipkart billboards: Paid promotions masquerade as organic content on LinkedIn

New Delhi: Despite a recent advisory from the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) emphasising the need for disclosure of paid promotions, several prominent figures on LinkedIn, including thought leaders and influencers, have been observed discussing Realme P3 Pro billboards without clearly indicating that their posts are sponsored content.

The billboards also faced ridicule for their poor copywriting, as netizens pointed out grammatical errors and confusing messaging.

The lack of disclosure was highlighted by Karthik Srinivasan, a Communication Strategy Consultant, who has previously called out similar issues on LinkedIn.

He wrote, “Just how many people did Flipkart, Realme, and its/their "influencer marketing" agency/agencies rope in—for a few, of course, to "talk" about this billboard... and ALL of them without any kind of disclosure that this is a paid/promoted post?”

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/karts_advertising-marketing-influencers-activity-7300469494391480320-Xf2h?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAASUqIABwsYlEHUFF4x15iXk1nHnQ0Bvc4o

Similarly, Adityan Kayalakal, Head of Marketing at Veera, criticised the billboards' poor copywriting, sparking a wave of backlash.

He wrote, “I’m not really sure what to think of this ‘ad’. I don't even know where to start. I clearly don’t get it, so I definitely should not buy the RealMe P3 Pro on Flipkart, I guess.”

Unlike other popular social media platforms, LinkedIn does not provide platform disclosure tools. In such a case, the influencers themselves have to display the permitted disclosure terms like “Ad” or “Partnership”, amongst others. 

In recent times, the platform has seen several cases of professionals talking positively about certain products or services and even advertising campaigns without revealing that they are part of a campaign. 

These practices mislead audiences, who may believe that the views represented by such professionals are unbiased and not influenced by any collaboration. 

Several alert professionals now tag The Advertising Standards Council of India on such suspected posts, which then examines such cases. 

"LinkedIn influencers are seasoned professionals and trusted voices in their respective fields; this makes it all the more important for them to lead by example when it comes to responsible influencing. Being transparent about material connections is mandated both by the ASCI Code and the CCPA guidelines. The advisory is a direct reminder that such non-disclosures could lead to a loss of credibility for violators, as well as possible action by the regulators. We thank the LinkedIn community of professionals who are aiding ASCI by sharing such links and helping keep the advertising ecosystem honest,” said Manisha Kapoor, Secretary General and CEO, ASCI.