Check in with short video bloggers on treasure stores? "Paid store exploration" is not a false promotion for consumers | bloggers | treasures
Where to eat when going out? Brushing short videos for recommendations - In recent years, with the rapid development of short video platforms, various types of blogger exploration videos have become popular on the internet, becoming an important reference for consumers to "plant grass" and "uproot grass". However, with the rise of the new business model of "influencers exploring stores", problems such as exaggerated and false advertising have also emerged.
The Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising, which came into effect on May 1 this year, proposes that if a video promoting goods or services through experience sharing is attached with purchase methods such as shopping links, the publisher must clearly indicate that the video is "advertising". Experts believe that this move will effectively safeguard consumer rights and promote the healthy and orderly development of short video platforms.
Checking in with video bloggers has become a trend
Ge Huan, who lives in Xicheng District, Beijing, is a "heavy enthusiast" of short video platforms. "I spend my free time browsing short videos every day, especially watching various food exploration bloggers. I often follow bloggers to 'check in' various small shops and explore many 'treasure shops'.".
The so-called store exploration refers to the behavior of online bloggers sharing personal consumption experiences through live broadcasts or videos, and evaluating and promoting merchants or brands. "From the perspective of promoting consumption, the emergence of the new business model of" Da Ren Tan Dian "has certain positive significance for both merchants and consumers," Hong Yong, associate researcher at the E-commerce Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, told our reporter.
For merchants, collaborating with store exploration bloggers can expand brand exposure, improve brand awareness and reputation. "Exploring bloggers usually conduct evaluations and recommendations through on-site visits and personal experiences, especially for bloggers with a large fan base who can help businesses directly attract potential consumers, thereby bringing more customer traffic and sales opportunities. In addition, businesses can also collaborate with exploring bloggers to obtain user feedback and market insights, thereby improving products and services and enhancing competitiveness." said Hong Yong.
From the perspective of consumers, the store exploration videos released by bloggers can provide shopping guides and consumption suggestions for consumers. Bloggers share their shopping experiences, product reviews, and other information through on-site visits and experiences, helping consumers reduce trial and error costs and improve shopping efficiency. Consumers can choose products or services that suit them based on the recommendations of bloggers, saving time and money, and obtaining a better shopping experience.
"Various short video platforms are like 'encyclopedias', where you can find corresponding store exploration bloggers in categories such as food, homestays, and clothing." Chen Bingjie, a food enthusiast born in the 1990s, said, "Some food store exploration bloggers cooperate with businesses and even attach consumption voucher links in their short videos, which is much more favorable than offline consumption. Nowadays, every weekend, I follow various store exploration videos to try new stores."
The 2022 Tiktok Life Service Exploration Data Report shows that in 2022, Tiktok life service orders will increase by 965% year on year, Tiktok life service creators will exceed 12.35 million, and Tiktok shop exploration videos will reach 1.1 billion. Last year, 72% of the merchants who settled in posted their demand for talent matching. Merchants posted 5.0711 million orders through the platform, a year-on-year increase of 623.12%. Exploring store influencers through short videos increased the revenue of merchants by 29.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 737%.
"Paid store visits" are not a false promotion
The rise of the store exploration economy has extended the reach of e-commerce to local life, driving offline consumption to further become popular. However, this new economic format has also given rise to some new problems.
Lu Chenxi from Shanghai said that she had previously seen multiple bloggers recommending a local restaurant on a certain short video platform, and the video also included a link to "299 yuan group meal for 4 people.". After placing an order and arriving at the store, she found that not only was the quantity of set menu dishes much smaller than the amount displayed in the video, but the taste was also not what the blogger claimed to be "stunning".
"Food exploration bloggers are often controversial, as the taste of food can vary from person to person. Some bloggers sincerely recommend food, but it is normal for consumers to dislike it or not get used to it." Exploration blogger Xiaoxue told reporters, "However, there are indeed some bloggers who charge money to engage in false advertising, mainly related to the commercialization of the exploration model."
According to Xiaoxue, the business cooperation models between store exploration bloggers and merchants are generally divided into several categories: first, merchants invite bloggers to provide free catering services, bloggers experience and post store exploration content on the platform, and attach store location tags to attract consumers; Secondly, the merchant pays a certain fee to the blogger to shoot and publish store exploration content according to the merchant's requirements; Thirdly, in the store exploration video launched by the blogger, the merchant's consumption vouchers, discount packages, and other links will be attached, and the blogger will be given corresponding commissions based on the platform user's order situation. "Driven by commercialization, some store exploration bloggers disregard the quality of the products themselves and only promote them after receiving money, which indeed affects the consumer experience," said Xiaoxue.
The quality of merchants detected by consumers varies, and some merchants also express unbearable suffering. A restaurant owner in Chongqing said that their store was located in a residential building. Initially, it was a restaurant exploration blogger who spontaneously explored the restaurant and brought it to life. Afterwards, more and more store exploration bloggers came to the store to shoot videos. "The popularity of short videos is both beneficial and troublesome for us. Some bloggers spend half a day filming videos, affecting other customers' dining. Some bloggers forcibly demand commercial cooperation and eat 'overbearing meals'." This boss said, but due to the complex process of rights protection, even in such situations, merchants often choose to calm down.
"The store exploration model can usually be divided into 'cooperative store exploration' and 'free store exploration'. Some bloggers voluntarily come to their homes to help promote and advertise, which belongs to free store exploration." Liao Huaixue, a lawyer at Taihe Tai Law Firm, said in an interview with our reporter, "Bloggers of free store exploration should pay for their own food and beverage services. If they use their own traffic to demand free services from merchants, demand valuable ingredients, etc., it may be suspected of illegal activities."
Clearly distinguish between commercial advertising and personal store exploration behavior
Industry insiders believe that the frequent occurrence of various chaos in store exploration reflects the necessity of prudent supervision of this emerging business model.
"The relevant departments should formulate necessary laws and regulations, clarify the responsibilities and obligations of store exploration bloggers, and regulate commercial cooperation behavior. At the same time, strengthen the construction of industry self-discipline organizations. Store exploration bloggers can spontaneously form industry associations or organizations, formulate industry norms and guidelines, and promote the formation of self-discipline in the industry. Bloggers should also work together to abandon untrue and exaggerated propaganda, promote integrity and objective attitude, and ensure the authenticity and reliability of the content they publish." said Hong Yong.
Standardizing store exploration behavior, relevant laws, regulations, and industry regulations are gradually being improved. The Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising proposes that if a video or service is promoted through knowledge introduction, experience sharing, consumption evaluation and other forms, and purchase methods such as shopping links are attached, the advertisement publisher should clearly indicate "advertising". Recently, a company released a short video of influencers exploring stores, which was fined by the market regulatory department in Huangshi, Hubei for not indicating "advertisement", becoming the first case in China where influencers were punished for violating laws and regulations while exploring stores.
"For consumers, it is difficult to distinguish whether store exploring videos are true recommendations or commercial promotions. The Internet Advertising Management Measures, combined with the new changes in Internet advertising in recent years and the new formats of the Internet advertising industry, based on the original interim measures, made comprehensive adjustments in accordance with the existing laws and regulations such as the Advertising Law, the Electronic Commerce Law, and other industrial standards such as the Code of Conduct for Mobile Internet Program Advertising of the China Advertising Association." Liao Huai said that the management measures stipulated that store exploring videos should be marked with advertising, clearly defined the identity of store exploring bloggers and their legal responsibilities, so that consumers can distinguish between ordinary experience sharing and commercial promotion, thus providing more choices for consumers, which is conducive to safeguarding consumers' legitimate rights and interests.
Relevant platforms are also increasing their governance efforts. According to the 2022 Tiktok Life Service Shop Exploration Data Report, since 2022, the platform has handled 1.82 million false propaganda videos and 600000 illegal accounts for "false propaganda", "extorting overbearing meals with bad comments", "unfair competition", "false shop exploration" and other violations. In addition, the platform has successively launched the "Shop Exploration Behavior Proposal" and "Life Service Shop Exploration Standards", calling on business experts to truthfully promote honest cooperation in the cooperation process and jointly create a healthy shop exploration environment; Launch governance and accountability capabilities to ensure the implementation of relevant store exploration standards.
"Short video platforms are an important entry point for exploring and sharing with bloggers, and should bear corresponding responsibilities. The platform should strictly distinguish between commercial advertising and personal exploring, provide typical violation scenarios and corresponding punishments for bloggers to refer to. In addition, regular spot checks should be conducted on the" grass planting "content of exploring stores on the platform. For content that uses personal exploring stores and real experiences as promotional gimmicks and actually belongs to commercial advertising, penalties such as warnings, delisting videos, account downgrades, and banning submissions should be given." Liao Huai said.
