Brands are pushing influencers to hide their paid deals

Influencer marketing has a surprisingly persistent #ad disclosure problem. fotostorm/Getty Images Influencer marketing is booming. So is its ad disclosure problem. New research shared with BI found that brands are asking creators not to disclose paid partnerships. The SheSpeaks survey also found 14% of creators said they didn't always disclose brand ties. Brands have a proposition for influencers: What if you didn't make those pesky #ad disclosures? The Utah-based wellness influencer Sharon Johnson, who describes herself in her Instagram bio as a "Reformed Tradwife," said a supplement company recently asked her not to include an #ad disclosure in posts showing her receiving and opening the company's product. Johnson said she labeled the posts anyway, wary of losing her audience's trust and of a potential penalty from the Federal Trade Commission, which mandates clear labeling . The brand's request also rubbed her the wrong way.