Branded Content Governance: Problems and Mitigations.

Citation

MacRury I, Hardy J & Nunez-Gomez P (2025) Branded Content Governance: Problems and Mitigations.. ESRC & AHRC. London: UAL. https://doi.org/10.25441/arts.29424842.v1

Abstract
From influencer posts, sponsored podcasts and product placements to AI-generated ads and personalised recommendations, branded content is central to the media we use every day. As media and marketing become more intertwined, it’s increasingly important to understand how this content is created, experienced — and regulated. This report sets out the summary analysis and recommendations made by the Branded Content Governance Project (BCGP). It is designed to serve as an executive summary for our analysis of ‘problems’ relating to branded content practices and to the governance of branded content, and ‘mitigations’, actions that could help to remove or reduce those problems. Our analysis is set out in greater detail in other project reports and outputs, including Mapping the Media-Marketing Ecology and Branded Content Governance: 32-country comparative analysis.

Keywords
Branded Content; Native Advertising; Influencer Marketing; Advertising Regulations; Communication Regulation

• Final version