KUALA LUMPUR – Brands have a responsibility for the content they choose to associate with, but they are not the ones producing it, explained Content Forum vice-president Claudian Navin Stanislaus.
He told Scoop that in the case of sponsored content, brands are primarily aligning themselves with an existing audience rather than directly creating the content.
This distinction, according to Stanislaus, means that while brands must be accountable, their role is different when it comes to sponsored material.
“For example, if a brand sponsors news, are they responsible for any misinformation reported?
“The Content Code offers a way to address violations, but taste is subjective,” said Stanislaus when contacted.
His comments came after Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh criticised health and wellness brand Gintell Malaysia for sponsoring an episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast, hosted by former Umno leaders Shahril Hamdan and Khairy Jamaluddin.
Stanislaus emphasised the heightened responsibility public figures like Yeoh have in leading by example, especially when engaging with sponsored content.
“While consumers often take to social media to vent, public figures, given their influence, have a heightened responsibility – not just as consumers.
“That’s why we felt it was critical to include guidelines for influencers in the revision of the code,” Stanislaus added.
Stanislaus further explained that the Malaysian Code of Advertising Practice, administered by Advertising Standards Malaysia, outlines clear guidelines to ensure that advertising material upholds the ethics and proprieties generally observed by the community.
This includes avoiding content that is offensive or not acceptable in polite conversation, even in sponsored formats.
He also highlighted the potential risks for brands involved in such controversies, noting that while the incident might have garnered Gintell more attention, it also carries the risk of backlash, which could have financial consequences.
The controversy began when former youth and sports minister Khairy, in the latest Keluar Sekejap episode, suggested that Yeoh should be more proactive and courageous in addressing issues within national sporting associations, rather than behaving like a “tai chi minister”.
He argued that simply stating that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) was elected by its members was insufficient and akin to “passing the buck”.
Yeoh responded on Instagram, expressing her disapproval of Gintell’s sponsorship of a podcast that, in her view, implied the minister should interfere more directly with the OCM.
She also criticised the use of images of prominent figures like Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria (OCM president) and Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar (Commonwealth Games Federation president and former OCM president), with the latter labelled as a “big beast”.
“Your massage chair is now seen as the perfect platform for armchair critics (no pun intended),” Yeoh posted.
In response, both Shahril and Khairy urged the minister to address their comments directly rather than involving Gintell, advising her not to target their podcast’s sponsor in her criticism. – August 18, 2024