Fewer disclosures, more ambiguity as health and wellness influencers offer proof of qualification

Government has asked health and wellness influencers to disclose their qualification.

The government has stepped up scrutiny of health and wellness influencers who, it turns out, aren’t sufficiently aware yet of the new guidelines.

In April, the government demanded that influencers who offer their audience health and wellness tips give proof of their qualifications to do so.

Rohit Kumar Singh, secretary to the department of consumer affairs, announced the guideline, requiring the content creators to disclose their qualifications prominently to their audience.

Unlike the endorsement guidelines which were introduced earlier this year, there exists little clarity on how exactly the qualification disclosures have to be made. For brand deals, the guidelines state that disclosures should be superimposed over endorsements in a picture, or disclosures should be made in both audio and video formats in case of a video.

However, no formal notice to that effect has been received, said Dr. Manan Vora, who has over 250,000 followers on Instagram. "There are no directions on how it (qualification disclosure) has to be done," he added.

Mental health influencer Arushi Sethi, CEO and founder of Trijog, a mental health and counselling organization, said not many influencers were disclosing their qualifications when it comes to the health and wellness category.

"This brings us to the larger question. What are qualifications? Proof of concept of actually what you have learned and the impact that it is making is one type of qualification as the proof of concept becomes the qualification. Then the degree you carry makes you eligible to transfer that knowledge to people," she said.

It is expected that creators posting content around a particular health concern should have a degree and shouldn’t be posting content as an expert unless they are medically acclaimed, noted Vora. "A lot of doctors have degrees, which becomes easy, but health coaches, wellness coaches will face challenges," he said.

Vora added: "Lifestyle choices impact our health in multiple ways apart from particular health concerns. I believe creators who are claiming that this particular lifestyle choice will help a person lead a healthier life should give a disclaimer saying the views are personal and not medically acclaimed."

Vora also said creators with qualifications or medical professionals-turned-influencers were happy with the guidelines, but individuals speaking from their experience or subject knowledge and without any specific qualification are wary about how it will impact their value as a creator.

Having qualifications to dispense the tips influencers do can attract a dedicated audience because people are more likely to follow those who have specialized knowledge and experience, said Dr. Prakhar Narayan Dubey, a dermatologist and influencer who has mentioned his qualification in a biography that demonstrates his expertise.

"The influencers can mention their degree or certification from an authentic institute in their bio. In addition to this, health and wellness influencers should also mention their field of expertise in their bio,” said Dubey.

“This can help their audience understand the specific areas in which the influencer has knowledge and experience, and can help build trust and can provide greater transparency and credibility to their audience," he added.

Vora is not sure how promising the disclosure of qualification is.

"It is extremely easy to fake one. To avoid the same, the government should come up with strict punishments and agencies and brands must have a rigid vetting procedure," he said.

Influencer marketing agencies claim the reaction to the guidelines has been mixed.

"Some (influencer marketing) agencies may see it as a positive step towards ensuring accuracy and reliability while others may view it as a potential barrier to entry for creators,” said Karan Pherwani, Vice President of Chtrbox, an influencer marketing firm.

“The views of creators on disclosing their qualifications are also mixed. Some creators believe that it is essential to disclose their qualifications to build trust with their followers while others feel that their qualifications are not relevant to the content they create," Pherwani said.

He claimed to have noticed a rising trend of health and wellness influencers disclosing their qualifications.

"The creators who have qualifications are actually welcoming this move because we have been pretty frustrated as anyone who undergoes a body transformation suddenly becomes a health coach and puts years of qualifications into question. However, we still don't know what the repercussions will be of this guideline," Vora said.

For brands, by associating themselves with qualified influencers could enhance their own credibility and reputation, which could in turn lead to increased sales and customer loyalty, said Gautam Madhavan, founder and CEO, Mad Influence, an influencer marketing platform.

However, brands may also face more scrutiny from regulatory bodies and consumers if they are found to be working with unqualified influencers or promoting products that make unsubstantiated health claims," he added.

"According to Sethi, the new guideline will help clear the clutter as audiences will get access to a more authentic knowledge pool and brands will get a chance to engage with core communities through these influencers.

With more credibility among their followers, influencers disclosing their qualification may be able to charge higher endorsement fees, said Dubey.

Currently, an influencer with 200,000 and above followers charges anywhere between Rs 75,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh per Instagram Reel and content creators with over a million followers charge around Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.

Pherwani said brands were increasingly turning to influencers to promote their health and wellness products, from supplements to workout gear, and the industry is expected to continue to expand in the coming years which is currently a significant category of the influencer marketing industry.

The influencer marketing industry is currently valued at about Rs 1,275 crore and is set to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 25 percent for the next 5 years, according to GroupM INCA 2022 report.

Madhavan pointed out that an influencer’s following could also feel the impact of qualification disclosures if followers perceive him or her as less relatable or authentic once they see the person as a qualified professional rather than just a regular person with an opinion.

"Then again, influencers could attract a new set of followers who value expertise and knowledge," he added.

There may be concerns about a potential drop in followers or a decline in endorsement fees for creators without certificates, noted Pherwani.

"But it is better for long-term success to prioritize honesty and transparency," he said.