Hotel giant Accor has been rapped by advertising watchdogs after a social media influencer posted about her stay at the Savoy without identifying it as an ad.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that a TikTok post by Lydia Elise Millen broke rules because she had an existing commercial agreement with the group.
In a post seen on seen on 24 November 2022, Ms Millen appeared in a dressing gown in her room and said: “We’ve just checked into The Savoy in London for our annual Christmas shopping trip. This evening we’re going to the theatre here at The Savoy and I need you to help me pick my outfit”. She tried on two outfits and asked followers to comment on which they preferred.
Three complainants said the post should have been labelled as marketing communication.
In its response, Accor, for the Savoy, admitted it had a deal with Ms Millen, which started in 2022. This ‘Fairmont Ambassadorship’ contract covered stays in Fairmont and all associated hotels, and meant she would post labelled content on Instagram. Because the post was on TikTok, Accor argued it was not paid for and therefore outside of the deal.
Ms Millen added that while her arrangement with Accor gave the company sign-off on her posts about its hotels, the TikTok post was done independently and the hotel chain had no control over it.
However, watchdogs ruled the excuses invalid, saying all marketing must be clearly labelled, and that the Savoy was likely to have benefited from the TikTok post. Both were warned to identify social media posts as ads in the future.
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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that a TikTok post by Lydia Elise Millen broke rules because she had an existing commercial agreement with the group.
In a post seen on seen on 24 November 2022, Ms Millen appeared in a dressing gown in her room and said: “We’ve just checked into The Savoy in London for our annual Christmas shopping trip. This evening we’re going to the theatre here at The Savoy and I need you to help me pick my outfit”. She tried on two outfits and asked followers to comment on which they preferred.
Three complainants said the post should have been labelled as marketing communication.
In its response, Accor, for the Savoy, admitted it had a deal with Ms Millen, which started in 2022. This ‘Fairmont Ambassadorship’ contract covered stays in Fairmont and all associated hotels, and meant she would post labelled content on Instagram. Because the post was on TikTok, Accor argued it was not paid for and therefore outside of the deal.
Ms Millen added that while her arrangement with Accor gave the company sign-off on her posts about its hotels, the TikTok post was done independently and the hotel chain had no control over it.
However, watchdogs ruled the excuses invalid, saying all marketing must be clearly labelled, and that the Savoy was likely to have benefited from the TikTok post. Both were warned to identify social media posts as ads in the future.
The post Accor rapped for influencer’s Savoy post appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
