Influencers, Digital Platforms Gain Access To Government Ads

Under the newly introduced 'Karnataka Digital Advertising Guidelines - 2024' by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), digital media entities including influencers are now eligible to receive government advertisements. These guidelines, effective for the next five years until further notice aim to leverage digital advertising to effectively communicate government schemes and policies to the tech-savvy public.

The guidelines apply to a broad range of digital platforms including video streaming services such as YouTube, social media channels like Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, search engines like Google and Bing, OTT services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, fintech platforms such as Google Pay and PhonePe, news aggregators, call centres and other digital entities.

According to the guidelines, a digital media entity is “any platform such as web portals, news aggregators, web sites, etc., that uses hardware, software and internet to enable the exchange of information or communication, or delivery of service, goods or commerce.”

Influencers eligible for government advertisements are categorised into three groups - nano, micro and macro, based on their follower count. The advertisements will include a variety of formats such as long and short-form videos, banners, pop-ups, audio ads, static images and more.

The guidelines also specify additional eligibility criteria for digital advertising agencies and media entities. Agencies must be legally registered in Karnataka or have a fully operational office in the state, hold a valid GST registration and have contracts with major digital platforms like Google and Meta. Moreover, they must secure clearance from these platforms to conduct government campaigns. Digital media entities must have been operational for at least a year and must consistently publish content without breaks.