ETHICAL INFLUENCER MARKETING IN INDIA: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS, DISCLOSURE PRACTICES, AND EMERGING ETHICAL CHALLENGES

Vidya Chadha; Dr. Nameeta Garg

doi:10.5281/zenodo.22052499

Abstract

Marketing communication has evolved over time, to the point where influencer marketing has become a pivotal
component of digital brand communication. But with the increasing commercialization of influencer content,
basically advertising products/services, has even increased the concerns regarding transparency, misleading
claims, accountability, and consumer protection. The study examines the evolving ethical landscape of influencer
marketing in India through a qualitative document analysis approach. Five relevant official and regulatory
documents were purposively and systematically reviewed. The documents include ASCI guidelines for influencer
advertising in digital media, the CCPA Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and
Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, evidence on non-compliant influencers and brands, ASCI’s annual
complaints report, and ASCI’s guidelines concerning health and finance influencers. The documents were
analyzed using thematic analysis through initial coding, categorization, and theme development. The five themes
emerged were regulatory framework & consumer protection, transparency & sponsorship disclosure, shared
responsibility & influencer due diligence, the regulation-compliance gap, and emerging ethical risks in influencer
marketing. The findings suggest that India has developed an increasingly structured framework for influencer
advertising, however the violations indicate the central challenge lies not only in establishing rules but also in
ensuring proactive and consistent compliance of guidelines. The study contributes a holistic overview of ethical
influencer marketing within Indian regulatory context.

Keywords

Influencer Marketing, Ethics, Disclosure, ASCI, Consumer Protection, Social Media Influencers.

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