Instagram Bans Vaping Ads
Plus, extra restrictions for alcohol and dietary supplement companies.
Instagram has recently announced branded content guidelines that will help some users advertise their products, but will hinder many others. A notable group negatively affected by the updated policy is companies and influencers that wish to advertise vaping-related products, as the social media platform has stated it will begin to crack down much harder on this type of content to adhere to advertising policies already in place.
“Branded content that promotes goods such as vaping, tobacco products and weapons will not be allowed,” stated Instagram’s announcement. “Our advertising policies have long prohibited the advertisement of these products, and we will begin enforcement on this in the coming weeks.”
The vaping industry has had a tough time with advertising in 2019. This is especially the case with JUUL, who came under fire multiple times for allegedly advertising to underage, non-smoker consumers. These concerns surrounding JUUL led to an ongoing federal probe into the e-cigarette company’s advertising tactics. Eventually, JUUL even ended up shutting down its social media accounts, including Instagram.
Companies that advertise alcohol and dietary supplements will also be facing updated restrictions in the new year, mainly to better restrict underage users from viewing this type of content.
To support creators in general, Instagram has also begun rolling out a Brand Collabs Manager feature that is already available on Facebook. The feature allows users to share metrics and better interact with brand partners.
In related news, Instagram has also recently introduced a “Layout” feature for uploading multiple photos to stories.
