Background reading · English
Ads and influencers: the art of persuasion
Advertisers use colour, music, famous faces and feelings to make products stick in our minds. Influencers are advertising too, and New Zealand has rules about it.
Companies spend huge amounts of money on advertising. Research on marketing shows that much of it isn't about convincing you right now. It is about making their brand the one that pops into your head later, when you're standing at the shop shelf.
Techniques to look for
Why influencers work
People like to copy those they admire or want to be like. Marketers call these groups reference groups. An influencer is someone with a big online following whose choices others copy. When an influencer you trust shows a product, it can feel like advice from a friend, not an ad. That is exactly why companies pay them.
The rules in Aotearoa
New Zealand's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says that if an influencer is paid or given something in return for a post about a product, that post is an ad. It must be obvious it is an ad as soon as you see it, for example with a clear label at the start, not hidden in a bio. There is also a Children's Advertising Code, for ads aimed at people under 16. Ads for children must not take advantage of their trust or lack of experience, or make them feel less if they don't own the product.
Be ad-aware, not ad-scared
Ads can be clever, funny and useful. The aim isn't to hate them, but to notice them. Ask: who paid for this? What do they want me to do? What are they not telling me? Then decide for yourself.
Sources and further reading
Written for Kōkiri Learn students in our own words. Check facts against the sources.