Japan set to crack down on stealth marketing, online or offline

It's amazing how the larger companies are trying to block the small companies from expanding market share. The larger companies lobby the politicians to create these new laws because small companies and sole owner businesses are actually better than the larger companies and taking away business from the larger established ones. In addition, the larger companies are controlling the internet now creating an online experience that was not intended.

Lots of website use advertising as guise as news story

Yeah, lots of product announcements as "news". Pretty much every travel report now is payola.

If you tune into Japanese mainstream tv during the day, there are entire programs selling old people supplements with highly spurious claims. This has much more reach than any influencer or Youtuber using product placement. By targeting the old, they are hitting a much more vulnerable audience.

 hour-long commercials for chain restaurants, resale chains, and department stores.

Yes, in the last few years, it has got really bad. Two-hour specials where all they do is judge the desserts on sale at the major convenience store chains. Or go to an electric store where the talento buys lots of gimmicky appliances with the punchline of "kaimaaaaaaaaasu!".

To claim that the actual problem is on Youtube or Tiktok is nuts!

Roy Sophveason - And if you tune into Japanese mainstream TV during the evening, there's "comedians" or panel show celebrities doing what amounts to hour-long commercials for chain restaurants, resale chains, and department stores.

kohakuebisu - Yes, in the last few years, it has got really bad. Two-hour specials where all they do is judge the desserts on sale at the major convenience store chains. Or go to an electric store where the talento buys lots of gimmicky appliances with the punchline of "kaimaaaaaaaaasu!".

To claim that the actual problem is on Youtube or Tiktok is nuts!

Yup!!! Those are all paid promotions disguised as opinions or helpful advice. That is what they should be going after with this law.

At the very least, make them put a disclaimer on the screen stating that the manufacturers and/or retailers have paid a fee to feature their products on the show.

Thank you so much, I am glad someone is finally doing something about it.

So many people especially the weak and vulnerable are getting scammed and ripped off by these so called Idols, Influencers, stars, You Tubers, product reviewer, and more. the public is waking up and slowly catching on to their scams and lies but they need the help of the LAW.

Lots of website use advertising as guise as news story

Japan set to crack down on stealth marketing, online or offline:

Stealth marketing comes from companies that pay celebrities to advertise product/service under the guise of genuine opinion.

It is outright cheating. Must be curbed/stopped..

The Consumer Affairs Agency is expected to classify stealth marketing as "improper representation," one of the corporate activities prohibited under the law against unjustifiable premiums and misleading representations, according to a draft report compiled in November.

This would seem to cover the business activities of big boys like Dentsu in advertising as well as a host of other business like dispatch and temp companies.

Of course the only ones the authorities will go after are some Instagrammers and Youtubers.

Yeah, lots of product announcements as "news". Pretty much every travel report now is payola.

same happens with "events" websites. Used to use websites such as Walkerplus etc. to see what's going on in the weekend, interesting events, etc. No more. You look up and find 200 trending "events" to go in your city on sunday alone, just to find out over 75% of them are "summer beer garden", "autumn sweets buffet" 'events' and other nonsense paid by restaurants etc.

Yubaru - I wonder how this will affect the annoying "infomercials" where celebrities long past their prime, are hawking old age prevention pills or some other borderline product that is along the lines of snake oil.

As there is nothing stealth about an infomercial - it is obviously trying to sell a product - this law won't affect them at all.

The laws against false claims in advertising, if there are even such things in Japan, would be the ones to address "snake oil".

I wonder how this will affect the annoying "infomercials" where celebrities long past their prime, are hawking old age prevention pills or some other borderline product that is along the lines of snake oil.

If that it the case they need to put warning on any TV food show, everything is surprisingly oshiiiiiii!

3rimes I asked the consumer affairs agency for help. The last time I went in person to their Shinagawa office only to be told they do not accept complaints from… consumers

Violators will be subject to administrative punishment, including an order to prevent a repeat of the incident and naming-and-shaming.

And what would be the penalties for disobeying that "order to prevent a repeat"? the naming-and-shaming part is already present when it reaches the news.

I think it is an exceedingly good idea that they are stamping out stealth marketing. I will celebrate this good news with cake!

including an order to prevent a repeat of the incident and naming-and-shaming

That’s probably another paper tiger surely making them shivering from fear…not.