Influencer ads harder to recognise than brand ads, ASA research finds

Influencer advertising remains significantly harder for UK audiences to recognise than brand-run social media ads, new research from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) shows – a finding with direct implications for creators navigating compliance and trust.

The study, based on a survey of 1,900 UK users aged 13 and over, tested how people identify ads in realistic, fast-scrolling TikTok and Instagram feeds.

While around half of users say they feel confident spotting influencer advertising, only about half could identify influencer posts as “definitely” ads when tested. By contrast, three-quarters correctly identified brand-run social ads as advertising, rising to 86% when those who answered “maybe” were included. More than a quarter of respondents failed to recognise influencer ads at all.

Shahriar Coupal, director of advertising policy and practice at the ASA, said the findings show “strong public support for clear, upfront ad labelling”, adding that transparency helps people make informed choices and maintain trust in the content they see.

The ASA said it will update its Influencers’ Guide to reinforce expectations that advertising must be “obviously identifiable” under the CAP Code.

The report comes as separate research from the Influencer Marketing Trade Body and HypeAuditor found no measurable reduction in engagement on Instagram posts explicitly labelled #ad.