August 2026

VOLUME 05 ISSUE 08 AUGUST 2026
Influencer Marketing Compliance and Consumer Trust in India: A Secondary Data Assessment of ASCI Disclosure Guidelines and their Impact
1Divyanshi Singh, 2Dr Indra Pal
1Research Scholar, Department of Commerce University of Lucknow
2Assistant Professor Department of Commerce Sri Jai Narain Misra P.G. College Lucknow
DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i8n13

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ABSTRACT

Influencer marketing is becoming a popular promotional tool in India; however, the mingling of organic and paid content is also raising red flags with regard to transparency, consumer protection, and advertising integrity. Your study looks at the role of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Influencer Advertising Guidelines in alleviating the issues faced with influencers, especially with disclosure and its impact on consumer trust. The study deployed secondary data with data sources from literature, ASCI regulation, and industry reports for the period of 2015-2025 based on systematic search strategy. A screening method that is based on PRISMA was employed to narrow down an initial pool of sources to a final selection of 25 documents which have been examined through thematic analysis. Examining the thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke, we find some themes like disclosure and transparency, consumer trust and perception, compliance with ASCI, regulatory impact, and challenges involved in implementation. The results suggest that clear and consistent disclosure enables advertising transparency and builds consumer trust. However, partial compliance, vague labeling, and weak enforcement restrict the effectiveness of the guidelines. The study offers a nuanced understanding of how influencer disclosure norms operate in practice in India by triangulating academic, regulatory, and industry perspectives. In addition, the study highlights the need for greater implementation and consumer awareness to preserve trust in digital advertising.

KEYWORDS:

Influencer marketing, ASCI guidelines, disclosure, consumer trust, thematic analysis, transparency

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Cite this Article: Singh, D., & Pal, I. (2026). Influencer Marketing Compliance and Consumer Trust in India: A Secondary Data Assessment of ASCI Disclosure Guidelines and their Impact. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(8), 2209-2219. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i8n13

VOLUME 05 ISSUE 08 AUGUST 2026

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