By Robin King
As reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on 13 August 2012, a
ruling last week by the Advertising Standards Board provided that
everything that appears on a brand's Facebook page is
advertising.
Last week Victoria Bitter beer (VB) was found responsible for
abusive comments posted on its Facebook page and was therefore in
breach of the industry's self-regulatory codes on taste,
decency and ethics. Since the comments were in response to a
question that VB's marketing team had posted, the Board ruled
they constituted advertising.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
("ACCC") subsequently agreed with this decision, meaning
that companies must ensure that comments left by the public on
their websites and social media sites comply with advertising
guidelines and consumer law. Otherwise they may be penalised for
what members of the public post on their websites and social media
sites.
