Essex social media star Mrs Hinch under investigation by advertising watchdog
Mrs Hinch is being investigated by the advertising Watchdog for her Instagram posts. Picture: ARCHANT - Credit: Archant
Influencer Sophie Hinchliffe from Essex – known by her Instagram name of Mrs Hinch – is being investigated following concerns that she did not label her posts as advertisements.
The 29-year-old from Maldon shot to fame after offering her best cleaning tips and tools to her 2.5million social media followers online.
Mrs Hinch names her dish cloths and regularly shares images of her spotless homes with her fans, who she refers to as her "Hinch army".
However three complaints have been made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) concerning the labelling of adverts in her Instagram posts.
Under consumer protection law, influencers and social media stars must make it clear in posts that they have been paid or rewarded to promote, review or talk about a product.
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A spokesman for the ASA said: "I can confirm that we received three complaints in April about Mrs Hinch's Instagram posts concerning the labelling of ads (where she was posting about products including Flash and Febreze) and we are currently investigating.
"We will publish our decision in due course."
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Mrs Hinch revealed her real identity on an episode of ITV's This Morning last year - and now her popularity has flown online, with her products selling out in seconds.
Read more: Clean sweep as shops can't keep up with demand for Mrs Hinch's favourite products
Speaking of the complaints, Ms Hinchliffe said: "I take the responsibility that comes with having a large social media following very seriously, and, for me, being authentic and transparent is incredibly important.
"I'm fortunate that brands want to work with me, but I only collaborate with those that I genuinely like and would recommend to people.
"I continue to learn a lot, but feel my community are clear about any content that is part of a commercial partnership, and that which isn't.
"In fact, I'm overly cautious when it comes to these guidelines and will continue to be."
Earlier this year Ms Hinchliffe's new book, Hinch Yourself Happy, topped the Amazon best-seller lists and her social media following continues to grow.
