ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF INFLUENCERS, ADVERTISERS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS OF THE INFLUENCER MARKET
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32689/maup.philol.2025.4.8Keywords:
Digital Marketing Communications, Іnfluencer Marketing, Online Influencers, ethics, social responsibility, moral principles, business communications, authenticity, transparency, legal norms and selfregulation thics, Online InfluencersAbstract
The relevance of the study is determined by a number of factors, the main one being the rapid development of influencer marketing, which, despite its relative youth, is becoming increasingly popular. This market effectively responds to the demands of both businesses and consumers. The uniqueness and novelty of influencer marketing necessitate research into its structural components, social actors, and communication and marketing strategies, along with the specifics of target audiences. An analysis of recent studies and publications has revealed that the main areas of scientific research are issues of legality, transparency and authenticity in the activities of influencers, the dilemmas of using sponsorship and virtual influencing, and the social responsibility of opinion leaders towards vulnerable groups of society, in particular children and adolescents. Scientific attention is currently insufficiently focused on the ethical aspects of this novel, yet highly sought-after strategy of modern business communications. These factors determine the choice of this issue as the subject of research. The purpose of this article is to conduct an analytical study of the ethical problems of participants in the influencer marketing, identify ways to solve existing problems, and propose possible solutions. The results of the study revealed that the ethical standards that influencers, advertisers and other market participants must adhere to play a central role in building transparent and responsible communications. Compliance with ethical standards helps to strengthen audience trust, protect consumer rights and ensure the stable development of the entire industry. Ethical integrity and responsibility of all stakeholders are the basis for creating sustainable partnerships and harmonious development of the influencer marketing industry. Therefore, analysing these aspects and finding effective solutions became key tasks of the study, the implementation of which led to the conclusion that ethical issues are not only conceptual but also fundamental to the activities of all participants in the influencer marketing.
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