Klarna raises awareness to educate on social media advertising guidelines

By Joy Dumasia

Klarna, the global banking, payments and shopping service, is launching an experiential activation in the heart of Manchester to raise awareness amongst consumers and influencers regarding social media advertising guidelines.

The activation, a pop-up double-decker bus located in Manchester’s popular Spinningfields, aims to increase awareness of current social media rules and help consumers recognise when they see an advert.

Klarna is taking a proactive step forward in bringing greater transparency to consumers to understand when they see a paid-for advert versus organic content on social media. The Influencer Council Whitepaper also provides greater clarity to influencers and brands on the parameters of paid for partnerships to drive responsible marketing practices across the industry more broadly.

The Influencer Council, formed in March 2021, was established to provide greater clarity on influencer marketing guidelines following research that revealed that only one quarter (27%) of UK consumers understood the use of advertising tags on influencers’ posts.

Accompanying the Whitepaper, Klarna has also released a toolkit that includes branded stickers, Instagram story templates and badges to clearly illustrate the nature of the post, whether it’s an advert, part of an affiliate agreement or a gifted product.

AJ Coyne, Head of UK Marketing at Klarna, said: “We are excited to return to Manchester and continue a conversation that’s becoming increasingly important in modern-day life – responsible advertising on social channels. As social media plays an increasingly present role in our lives, consumers must be fully aware of when they are advertised. Our Influencer Council and subsequent whitepaper serve as a guide for brands and influencers looking to be responsible, and we’re looking forward to bringing this to life in a more visual way through our pop-up in Manchester’s Spinningfields.”

IBS Intelligence recently reported that Klarna, the global retail bank, payments, and shopping service, has launched a new £3 million Small Business Support Package to help British SMEs recover from the pandemic.