MAM
Fashion & lifestyle influencers top list of influencer advertising guidelines violations: ASCI
Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released a report on influencer advertising that lists brands and influencers that failed to comply with the guidelines set by the industry body for influencer advertising. Fashion and lifestyle influencers topped the list of category violations, according to the report that is based on ASCI’s monitoring efforts of the guideline in the period July-December 2021.
Ads without disclosures fell predominantly under four categories, according to the report, with fashion and lifestyle violators forming a majority at 29 per cent, followed by ads in the Cosmetic (19 per cent), food & beverage (13 per cent), and personal care (12 per cent) categories respectively.
The report listed some of the key violations observed as ‘absence of disclosures,’ ‘inconsistency of disclosure,’ such as, in Instagram stories, while the first story may have the disclosure, the ones after that did not have a disclosure, and ‘incorrect disclosure placement’ – wherein the disclosure labels were not placed in a manner that was easily visible to the audience. For example, the viewer had to scroll down/click read more to see the disclosure.
ASCI launched the Guidelines for Influencer Advertising in Digital Media on 27 May 2021 to ensure transparency of branded promotions on social media by influencers. The guidelines came into effect on 14 June 2021.
Through its partnership with Reech, ASCI started suo motu screening of social media platforms as well as handling end-consumer complaints in July 2021. Over a span of six months, it screened about 5000 posts/ stories/ feeds from influencer handles and completed processing of 719 posts which were considered to be prima facie violations of the guidelines.
Out of the total complaints processed, 21 per cent originated from end consumers, the rest were picked up suo motu through the industry body’s AI-based surveillance. Most complaints from end consumers were from Instagram feeds and stories, as per the report.
Out of the 719 posts processed, 577 (80 per cent) influencers voluntarily amended/withdrew their posts, said the report. Of the remaining 142 complaints, 121 were upheld by ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council and influencers were asked to withdraw or modify their posts. In all, ASCI recommendations received 86 per cent compliance from influencers.
Some of the influencers and brands who were in breach of the guidelines and who failed to comply with disclosure labels on the first and subsequent routine checks included Bollywood personalities Jacqueline Fernandez for Colorbar Cosmetics, Ranveer Singh for Manyavar Creations and Urvashi Rautela, and fashion influencer Sonam Babani of Instagram-handle @fashioneiress, among others.
Brands
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to step down after 18 years in role
Board begins CEO search as Narayen prepares to move to chair role
SAN JOSE: After nearly two decades at the helm, Adobe’s long-serving chief executive Shantanu Narayen is preparing to pass the baton.
The company announced that Narayen will transition from his role as chief executive officer once a successor is appointed, ending an 18-year run that reshaped Adobe from a boxed software seller into a global cloud and AI powerhouse. He will remain chair of the board following the leadership transition.
Adobe’s board has formed a special committee to oversee the succession process, led by lead independent director Frank Calderoni. The committee will evaluate both internal and external candidates.
“Shantanu’s leadership has been instrumental in Adobe’s transformation and in positioning the company for the AI-driven era,” Calderoni said in a statement. “As we begin the next phase of succession planning, our focus is on identifying the right leader for the company’s next chapter while ensuring a smooth transition.”
In a note to employees, Narayen described the moment not as a farewell but as a pause for reflection after a long journey with the company.
“I love Adobe and the privilege of leading it has been the greatest honour of my career,” he wrote, adding that he will continue to work closely with the board over the coming months to ensure a seamless leadership change.
Tributes from the technology industry quickly followed the announcement. Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella congratulated Narayen on what he described as a “legendary run” at Adobe.
“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere,” Nadella wrote on LinkedIn.
“What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you’ve done for Adobe and for our industry.”
Narayen’s career at Adobe spans nearly three decades. He joined the company in 1998 as vice president and rose steadily through the ranks before becoming chief executive officer in December 2007.
During that time, he orchestrated one of the most significant reinventions in the software industry. In 2013, Adobe made the bold decision to abandon traditional boxed software sales and move its flagship creative tools such as Photoshop to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model. The shift initially rattled investors but ultimately transformed Adobe into a predictable recurring revenue business and a case study in digital reinvention.
Narayen also pushed Adobe beyond creative tools into the world of marketing technology and data-driven customer experience, spearheading acquisitions such as Omniture and Marketo. Those moves helped build Adobe’s digital experience division and broaden its reach far beyond designers and photographers.
The numbers tell the story of that transformation. When Narayen took over in 2007, Adobe generated roughly $3 billion in annual revenue. Today the company reports more than $25 billion. Over the same period, its workforce expanded from around 3,000 employees to more than 30,000.
In recent years, Narayen has steered Adobe into the generative AI era with the launch of Adobe Firefly, aiming to keep the company ahead in a rapidly evolving creative technology landscape.
Born in Hyderabad in 1963, Narayen studied electronics and communication engineering at Osmania University before moving to the United States for a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University. He later earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most steady and effective leaders, Narayen has earned multiple honours during his career, including India’s Padma Shri in 2019.
For Adobe, the upcoming leadership change marks the end of a defining chapter. For Narayen, however, the story is far from finished. As he told employees, the company’s next era of creativity, powered by AI and new digital workflows, is only just beginning.
