All content creators must disclose when they post sponsored content. If you participate in a brand deal, there is a legal requirement for clear and conspicuous disclosure of all incentivised content. This also includes free game keys and in-game currency. It must be clearly disclosed to your viewers, both verbally and written.
When do I have to disclose?
Financial relationships encompass more than just monetary rewards. Any exchange of value, including receiving free products, must be disclosed. If you have any form of commercial affiliation with a brand, it qualifies as a form of "payment." This includes:
Acting as a brand ambassador
Receiving payment for promoting products or services
Holding shares in the company
Serving as a director or holding a position within the company
Collaborating on your own "edit" or "collection"
Receiving exclusive discounts or commissions
Being provided with free products, services, trips, hotel stays, event invitations.
Even if there is no obligation to post about the free items or services received, it still constitutes "payment" and requires disclosure. Additional instances where disclosure is necessary include:
When a brand provides you with free or discounted products or other perks and you mention one of its products, regardless of whether you were asked to do so.
Do not assume that your followers are already aware of your brand relationships.
Make disclosures even if you believe your evaluations are unbiased.
You are responsible to make sure that you disclose properly in line with your regional laws and guidelines. If you do not properly disclose sponsored content, it can have both legal and ethical consequences.
Other labels are riskier, and although it will always depend on the wider content and context, we usually recommend that you stay away from:
• Sponsorship, Sponsored content, Spon, #Spon, #Sp
• In association with
• Thanks to [brand] for making this possible
• Just @ mentioning the brand
How do I make sure that I disclose properly?
Never assume that a platform’s disclosure tool is good enough, it should always be used in addition to your own disclosure.
YouTube
The disclosure needs to be clear and obvious.
The disclosure should be in the first 30 seconds of the video.
The disclosure should be placed in the description message uploaded with the video.
You should use AD (A hashtag # is not mandatory, but okay to use)
You should verbally disclose whenever there is a sponsored segment in the video.
The disclosure should be in the same language as the endorsement itself
You should check YouTube’s own promotion placement option on the video. This must be turned on if a video is sponsored, in addition to the above steps. More information can be found HERE
Twitch
The disclosure needs to be clear and obvious.
You should use AD (The hashtag # is not mandatory but okay to use)
The disclosure should be repeated periodically so viewers who only see part of stream will get the disclosure
You should verbally disclose whenever there is sponsored content.
The disclosure should be in the same language as the endorsement itself
Twitch allows you as a content creator to add promotion placements on the live stream. This should be turned on if a stream is sponsored. More information HERE
Social media post and stories:
The disclosure needs to be clear and obvious.
Within the first two lines of copy (when viewed on a desktop).
When it comes to social media stories or framed content, it is essential to present text overlaid on images or videos in a manner that allows viewers to easily read it throughout the entire story. This can be achieved by using a sufficiently large font size, employing a contrasting color that stands out, ensuring the text is separate from other competing or distracting elements, and ideally placing it on a solid background.
You should use AD (A hashtag # is not mandatory, but okay to use)
The disclosure should be in the same language as the endorsement itself
You should check the platforms own promotion placement option.
Please make sure to familiarise yourself and stay up to date with your regional rules and guidelines:
US
Federal Trade Commission’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
UK
SWEDEN