Influencers are semi-professional ‘microcelebrities’, says a report published by the University of Florida in the US earlier this year. So, if celebrities have an ardent fan base, influencers, too, are loved for what they announce or endorse. And the impact of the endorsement can be strong enough to create a stir.
Take the case of a recent video by health and nutrition influencer Revant Himatsingka, who on his social media handle called ‘foodpharmer’, now blocked by Twitter, questioned the high level of sugar and artificial colours in the composition of Bournvita, a popular ‘health drink’ enjoyed by children and adults alike. Even though there has been no reported impact on the sale of the product so far, the video has garnered more than 13 million views on Himatsingka’s Instagram handle with criticism and conversations on thousands of users’ timelines. As a result, the child rights body, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), asked the Mondelez India-owned brand to withdraw ‘misleading’ advertisements, packaging and labels after the video.
It doesn’t end there. Himatsingka posted another video last month on how a 200ml glass of Glucon-D has over 50% more sugar than a 200ml glass of Coke, saying: “Fruits are for creative depiction. Glucon-D does not create fruits. I have no problem if people drink Glucon-D occasionally when they are very low in energy. But due to successful ads, many parents are now giving Glucon-D to their children almost every day during summer,” read his caption.
While many such videos, advertisements and publicity announcements on social media influence viewers in some way, brands take such controversies in their stride and at times completely reject the claims with distorted facts and negative inferences and, as such, videos do not merit any distinction from its detractors.
So, is selling health and happiness on social media detrimental to health influencers, brand reputation and the public?
Good, bad and the ugly
After the Bournvita fiasco, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shared a statement to act against food business operators reported to be involved in making false or misleading claims to protect consumer interests.
“FSSAI is actively discharging its statutory role for the sake of consumers by acting against the FBOs (food business operators) reported to be involved in making any false/misleading claims on food products to protect the interests of the consumers while ensuring fair trade practices and orderly growth of food industry in the country,” it said.
In fact, the new guidelines issued by the government this year make it mandatory for influencers and celebrities to disclose their qualifications, before giving health and wellness advice, so that the audience is well aware, can see, read and decide what is good or bad for their health and wellbeing.
As far as creators are concerned, it is a social and moral responsibility to fact-check a piece of information. “There is a proverb that says, ‘knowledge is power’, and it is true. I must be ethical in my practice and fair to people who trust me. Another proverb says, ‘half knowledge is dangerous’. Health influencers have massive fan following owing to the knowledge they share as people feel it is relatable and can be applied in real life. With great power comes great responsibility; so, it’s very important for the creators to make sure that the information conveyed to their audience is from the right source and has a scientific backing to it, as what they advocate has a huge impact on direct health,” says clinical nutritionist Avantii Deshpaande, who has more than 30,000 followers on Instagram. As a qualified nutritionist, she has been using social media for over 10 years to spread credible information on nutrition.
In fact, there are thousands of endorsements and announcements by influencers who promise the ideal weight, health and life, but only a few are suggestion-worthy and to make an informed choice. “A lot depends on how much personally one has experienced first-hand and what they are preaching. This is an issue with most influencers, who charge a humongous amount of money to sell almost anything, blindly following fitness influencers without keeping your preferences in mind, leading to zero progress or sometimes grave injury,” feels entrepreneur and philanthropist Radhika Iyer, founder of wellness brand Anahata Organic.
While influencers motivate people to develop healthier routines, they impart knowledge and encourage good lifestyle changes. “Some work with medical specialists and quote trustworthy sources to increase the authority of their material,” feels Dr Vindodha Kumari, deputy chief medical officer at Jindal Naturecure Institute, Bengaluru. But some influencers lack medical knowledge and may propagate disinformation, prompting followers to make rash health decisions.
The Advertising Standards Councils of India (ASCI) released its annual complaints report for 2022–23 and stated that one in every four brands’ content processed by it had an influencer violation. Celebrities like MS Dhoni, Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu and Virat Kohli are among a few names highlighting the most violations. The report mentioned that influencer violations stood at 26%, with 2,039 complaints being processed against them.
“Unrealistic body ideals and harmful practices, such as severe diets or excessive exercise, may be promoted, which can affect physical and mental health. It is admirable when social media health influencers share evidence-based information from credible sources and encourage open debates. Those who promote unverified items or diets without scientific evidence, on the other hand, may have a detrimental impact on their followers,” says Dr Vijay Kumar Gurjar, senior consultant and head of the department of geriatric medicine, Primus Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi.
Incredibly credible?
How much credibility do social media influencers have? “Social media and chat messengers like WhatsApp can be useful for many things but not for health advice,” says Sudipta Sengupta, CEO of The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), a healthcare company that promotes health literacy.
As per Sengupta, over 60% of the health misinformation he fact-checks at THIP is peddled by self-proclaimed health experts. “These people take advantage of people’s gullibility and run their shops posing as experts, doctors or influencers. All these are a part of business strategies, and the public is being fooled,” he says.
THIP is an official signatory of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN) and also certified by the American Accreditation Commission International (AACI).
Another problem that has been prevalent is the rise of health quacks and social media health influencers who have brought both opportunities and risks. Even if some individuals aim to promote health and wellness, there are others who share misinformation.
“One such example is the promotion of miracle cures for chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes or arthritis. The quacks often peddle unproven remedies, such as herbal concoctions or alternative therapies, claiming they can provide a cure without any scientific evidence to support their claims. Such false promises can divert patients from seeking proper medical care and delay necessary treatments, endangering their well-being,” says Samiksha Mehta, business development manager at Pollen, a full-service influencer marketing ecosystem which cultivates and nurtures new age creator and creator ecosystems.
“Some other examples include influencers that promote Ayurvedic treatments without proper scientific evidence or regulatory oversight. Or even beauty and skin-care influencers sometimes promote skincare products without proper scientific backing. They may exaggerate the benefits of certain products, leading followers to invest in expensive or potentially harmful treatments that may not provide the desired results,” Mehta adds.
“It is critical to evaluate health-related information, rely on evidence-based sources and consult qualified healthcare professionals for accurate guidance and advice. It becomes our responsibility as an agency to ensure that our influencers are giving out only correct and verified information about brands,” adds Mehta.
Influencer endorsement guidelines
- For endorsements in a picture, disclosures should be superimposed over the image enough for viewers to notice
- For endorsements in a video or a live stream, disclosures should be made in both audio and video format and displayed continuously and prominently during the entire stream
- Disclosure must be placed in the endorsement message in a manner that is clear, prominent, and extremely hard to miss
- Endorsements should use terms such as ‘advertisement’,’ ‘sponsored,’ ‘collaboration’ or ‘paid promotion’
- For paid or barter brand endorsement, any of the following disclosures may be used: ‘advertisement,’ ‘ad,’ ‘sponsored,’ ‘collaboration,’ or ‘partnership.’ The term must be indicated as a hashtag or headline text
