Store exploration videos should clearly define the boundaries of commercial advertising
2024-08-21
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Source: China Consumer News
Most of the videos about visiting stores are presented from the first-person perspective, sharing the blogger's experience and evaluation of the store's products, services, and environment after visiting the store offline. Therefore, some consumers believe that they are relatively objective and true, and use them as a reference for consumption. However, the reporter found that some videos seem to be "store visits" but are actually "promotions", with problems such as unclear advertising logos and misleading consumers. (According to the Workers' Daily on August 20)
As the digital economy is booming, some "store explorers" post promotional videos online through their personal experiences and vivid sharing, providing consumers with shopping references and convenience, becoming a bridge between consumers and goods and services, while also bringing considerable traffic and sales to businesses. However, when this "planting grass" craze gradually evolved into a hotbed for commercial promotion, the advertising logo issues behind it became particularly prominent and urgently needed to be taken seriously by all parties.
In order to obtain higher clicks, fans or business cooperation opportunities, store exploration experts often blur the boundaries between interest sharing and commercial advertising to attract more consumer attention. In particular, store exploration videos that are not marked with the word "advertisement" are more likely to mislead consumers. However, after consumers purchase goods or services that do not match the promotion, they often find it difficult to protect their rights due to the lack of clear advertising logos and evidence support. To this end, the state has issued the "Internet Advertising Management Measures", which clearly require that when promoting goods or services through knowledge introduction, experience sharing, consumer evaluation, etc., and attaching purchase methods such as shopping links, advertisers must clearly mark "advertisements". However, in reality, it is not difficult to find that some bloggers still attach shopping links when publishing promotional videos, but do not mark the word "advertisement".
The existence of chaotic store exploration not only harms the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, but also destroys the fair competition environment in the market. In this regard, regulatory authorities should earnestly perform their regulatory duties, strengthen the formulation and improvement of relevant laws and regulations, clarify the advertising attributes of store exploration videos, stipulate the circumstances and punishment rules for the words "advertisement" that must be marked, strengthen the regulation of behaviors such as "expert store exploration", and ensure the accurate application of advertising logos. At the same time, efforts should be made to investigate and punish chaotic store exploration, use technical means to improve regulatory efficiency, impose severe penalties on violations, and form an effective deterrent.
In addition, as important channels for content dissemination, short video platforms and social platforms should also assume corresponding social responsibilities, strengthen the guidance and management of MCN organizations and Internet celebrities, keep the boundaries between interest sharing and commercial advertising, and promote their marketing and promotion activities in a legal and compliant manner. It is necessary to establish and improve channels for consumer rights protection to ensure that consumers can easily file complaints and protect their rights when they encounter false propaganda, fraud and other behaviors.
At a time when store exploration videos are all the rage, we call on all parties to maintain a responsible attitude and create a healthy and transparent online environment for consumers. Only in this way can we jointly protect this fertile ground for "planting grass" and make store exploration videos a real consumer guide that consumers trust.
