“You Can Advertise Alcohol but Not Politics?”- Community Turns Furious Over Twitch’s New Branded Content Guidelines

Streaming platforms are among the most prominent means of content creation nowadays. With the rise in popularity of platforms such as Twitch and the streamers on the platform, brands closely monitor viewership. They aim to get their product out there by advertising it on these streaming platforms. However, with this, comes a host of new platforms over the way these advertisements appear on streaming platforms.

Recently, Twitch released guidelines on how branded content can be uploaded on the streaming platform. It seems fans are not pleased with the new guidelines, looking at several loopholes placed in them.

Fans outrage as Twitch allows alcohol advertisements

Usually, when it comes to issuing these guidelines for streaming services, companies tend not to permit advertising products that have a negative effect on people. Products such as cigarettes or gambling websites fall under this category.

When Twitch issued guidelines, fans realized among the list of things prohibited for advertisements, they did not see the mention of alcohol. Given a sizeable chunk of the viewership are children, one would think it important to include it in the guidelines.

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Adding to public outrage was a political content of any sort being disallowed, while alcohol advertisements continue to be permitted. Fans took to Twitter, expressing their disappointment about the same.

The term political content is used to cover a wide spectrum of topics, including public debate. While topics of public importance cannot be endorsed, alcohol continues to be permitted, that is with the exception it is marked with the mature category. Fans feel the exception to be baffling, given that alcohol too lies close to cigarettes and tobacco products, which Twitch has already disallowed.

Alcohol brands benefit greatly from using Twitch as a means of advertising their content. Brands such as Absolut Vodka worked with streamers in Italy to promote themselves. Whether alcohol should be permissible to advertise on Twitch has been a topic of contention within the viewer base of the platform for years.

Fans left confused by guidelines

Amidst the release of these new guidelines, a majority of viewers were left confused about exactly what these guidelines entailed.

It seems Twitch heard concerns about its viewers posted, taking to Twitter to post an update. They shared the view their fans had, understanding the vague language and the broad scope of these guidelines. Subsequently, this very broad scope is ripe to be exploited by brands when it comes to promoting products that were not permitted through surrogate advertising.

Quick reactions like this one are exactly what set Twitch apart from other streaming platforms. Rapid response to how users react to changes on the platform is the way to retain fans on the platform. Moreover, it is especially relevant as competing platforms such as Rumble and Kick emerge.

What do you think of the changes made to Twitch guidelines on sponsored content? Let us know in the comments below.

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