Case Study (continued): Authenticity
Authenticity refers to the persuader's use and honest belief in the product. While the Instagram ad does depict Kardashian West with the lollipop in her mouth there is no indication that it is a product she uses on a regular basis.
An anonymous staffer from Flat Tummy who helped direct influencers on their Instagram photos alluded that they did not expect influencers to actually use the product they were promoting (Wong, 2018). It can be argued that by not being a genuine user of the product, Kardashian West is not showing due respect to her followers.
Regarding equity, there was an imbalance between knowledge presented in the ad when compared with knowledge the buyer would need to make an informed decision about purchasing the product.
Social responsibility can also be questioned in this ad. Critics of the ad pointed out that the timing of the ad being posted during Mental Health Awareness Week was especially troubling (Mahdawi, 2018). An estimated 20 million women and 10 million men in America have struggled with an eating disorder according to the National Eating Disorders Association (2019). Ads such as those for Flat Tummy lollipops perpetuate an unhealthy and irresponsible view of body expectations (Wong, 2018).
In this case, it also is important to consider the difference between law and ethics. The post followed FTC disclosure guidelines and was therefore legal. Instagram does have policies in place to lessen the inclusion of ads that may show a negative self-image (specifically warns against before/after photos and zoomed body parts) in order to sell health, fitness, or weight loss products. However, the policies apply only to paid Instagram advertisements.
The policies do not apply to the Kardashian West post and to other posts from paid endorsers (Wong, 2018). Today, the Instagram “flattummyco” has 1.7 million followers. In its rise to success, it has focused the majority of its marketing efforts on social media (Wong, 2018). Although Kardashian West, suffered backlash from the initial Flat Tummy lollipop post, she and her sisters have since endorsed other Flat Tummy products, including Flat Tummy shakes and Flat Tummy tea. With the subsequent posts, online backlash also has followed (Nzengung, 2019; Zollner, 2020). It is the questioned unethical actions, not legal infringement, that has caused backlash for the Kardashians as Flat Tummy endorsements. Although the sponsored posts are legal, the application of the TARES test may indicate they are not necessarily ethical.
Discussion Questions
- If Kardashian West put her decision to post about the Flat Tummy lollipop through the TARES test, would she have realized the ethical questionability of the company?
- Would she have decided to promote the product?
- Would she have experienced the backlash and harm to her public image?
- What would you have advised Kardashian West to do in this case?