What does the new health guideline proposed by government mean for creators? Industry people talk!

Take a look at what digital creator Simran Balar Jain, Tanya and Prableen Kaur, Director of Talent Partnerships Pollen (Zoo Media), Aahana Mehta, and Divyansh Gala Group Head of Outreach had to share about the new health guideline.

It was not long ago when the government of consumer affairs released a new health guideline for the creator community. The regulation suggests that every health and wellness influencer is required to submit their qualification that will add value to their content when promoting health and wellness products and services. These guidelines laid by the government will also help them build credibility when sharing their advice on health issues. Considering the impact that they have on the consumers, the government said the move was necessary. With reports of people being duped with endorsements done by creators, who may not be qualified to talk about a product or service adds to the reasons on why the regulations are important.

While the new guidelines are an effort by the government, we talked to some of the people from the industry to know more about what it means to the creator community. Being a part of the community and the receiving end of the rule may have its own impact on content. When asked how it will impact influencer presence on social media, Simran Balar Jain - Digital Content Creator said, "The new guidelines aim to regulate the content created and shared by health and wellness creators on social media platforms. These guidelines require creators to provide accurate and scientifically proven information when it comes to talking about health and wellness, prohibiting creators from making misleading or false claims about any product or service." She mentioned how it may have less impact on her content as she tries to share content that is accurate, evidence-based, and compliant with the guidelines meanwhile pursuing a lot of certified sex-ed courses.

Simran further added, "I also conduct research and verify and cross-check the information with relevant doctors to ensure that I’m not providing false information to my followers. I also ensure that I’m not misleading or making any false claims about any product or service that is complying with advertising regulations." It's always her aim with her content to protect consumers from false or misleading health information and create an impact on normalising conversations around sex-ed, periods, and hygiene and ensure that they aren’t hushed. She welcomed this development with open arms as they will only aimed at ensuring that any information related to health and wellness provided on social media is accurate and reliable.

Photo: Simran Balar Jain - Digital Content Creator

Meanwhile Tanya Varshney - Fitness influencer added, "As a fitness creator with a significant presence on social media, I welcome the government's new regulations requiring health influencers to disclose their qualifications. However, I do not believe that this new guideline will significantly impact my presence on social media.

I have always been transparent about my qualifications and credentials as a fitness trainer, and I believe that my followers already trust me because of that transparency. This new regulation will only further establish my credibility as a fitness influencer and help me to stand out from unqualified individuals.

In fact, I believe that this new guideline will benefit me in the long run. By requiring qualifications to be disclosed, it will encourage more people to seek proper education and training before promoting themselves as fitness experts. This will ultimately raise the standards of the industry, and I am excited to be a part of that positive change.

While I welcome this new development, I do not believe that it will significantly impact my presence on social media. Instead, I see it as an opportunity to further establish my credibility as a fitness influencer and contribute to raising the standards of the industry."

Photo: Tanya Varshney

Creator Prableen Kaur acknowledges that the new rules will definitely have an impact on her presence and all the influencers on social media. But she also highlights how there are two sides to it too. "Many people might not have qualifications on paper but many people have experience with time. I know people who are in fitness industry for 15+ years without any qualifications. They have put in the work and understood what works for a human body with time. But obviously, qualifications are like a cherry on the top. There are 2 people with 15+ years experience but one has qualifications and the other doesn’t. If you ask who would I choose to follow? Obviously one with the qualification.
Currently, for a fact I know whatever I have put out on social media are facts & I promise my audience that I will keep doing that."

Considering there are many wannabe health and wellness influencers now who put out anything and everything without really knowing about it, Prableen feels that it is a development that she welcomes with open arms. "They think if it worked for them.. it will work for all. But that’s not right..every body type is unique and things work differently for all. What works for you.. might not work for the other. So, definitely I feel this new guideline will help the audience to know better."

Photo: Prableen Kaur

Also Read: The new goverment guidelines need health influencers to display their qualifications

Meanwhile agency professionals who work closely with influencers and find brands that they could associate with that will benefit from their content had their own take on the new development. Divyansh Gala, Group Head - Outreach said, "Brands, agencies and influencers need to abide by the new guidelines as it will help the end user to make a more informed decision. Customers are vulnerable when it comes to health and well-being and this regulation makes sure that in the name of health, the customers are not misled." He added how influencer marketing holds a major chunk of the brand’s budget especially for all health and wellness-related products. It becomes far more important, especially in the health sector that the right communication is reaching millions of people who follow these influencers. Furthermore, this will open avenues for more health influencers.

"Speaking from a content and creative lens, creators, agencies & brands will have to think of creative ways in which they can integrate creators' qualifications. It can also be done on the social media platform level. Similar to how platforms have a verified tick mark." To qualify as an influencer who can promote these products, social media platforms can come up with a verification symbol that signifies that they are qualified to post their submission of proper certificates.

Photo: Aahana Mehta, Director, Talent Partnerships Pollen (Zoo Media)

Aahana Mehta, Director, Talent Partnerships Pollen (Zoo Media) has a different take on the new development. When talking about the same she said, "The influencers definitely preempt a significant opportunity loss in this category, especially for wellness and fitness content creators." However, the sheer number of influencers holding legitimate certifications from various institutions raises the question of how the government plans to effectively monitor and verify their credentials.

"I do not believe in the blanket application of these guidelines across the entire category. It is imperative for advertisers and endorsers to exercise prudence and accountability when communicating about health and wellness-related products. Additionally, it is essential to acknowledge that non-expert influencers should avoid discussing medications or medical treatments." However, she is of the believe that influencers can share their personal experiences when it comes to wellness products instead of providing expert recommendations to their followers. It simply becomes them providing a product review and not dispensing expertise. "While monitoring communication and implementing guidelines is necessary, mandating certification for discussing personal experiences or product reviews would have a significant impact on influencer revenue, considering their substantial market share in the health and wellness category. Nevertheless, communication should still be closely monitored."

credits: GIFPHY.com

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