Influencer Marketing in Canada: Disclosure, Review, and Content Rights Checklist
A creator disclosure should not be buried in a bio, placed after a long hashtag block, or replaced by a brand tag. Competition Bureau Canada says a material connection should be clear and prominent on each relevant piece of content. Payment is only one example; free products, discounts, trips, tickets, and personal or family relationships may also affect how an audience evaluates independence.
Four checks for both brand and creator
| Area | Brand | Creator |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Document payment, product, and other benefits | Disclose clearly on every platform |
| Claims | Provide substantiated product information | Stay within personal experience and evidence |
| Review | Check errors and regulatory risk | Keep an authentic opinion instead of reading a press release |
| Records | Keep contracts, versions, and approvals | Keep publication captures and revision history |
Video may need both spoken and visual disclosure. A Story disclosure belongs on the frame; viewers should not have to visit the profile. When content is reposted, the disclosure needs to travel with each version.
Break “one video” into actual rights
Delivery of a file does not automatically grant every use. Define:
- publishing platforms, accounts, and live period;
- whether the brand can download, edit, caption, or resize;
- paid usage and whitelisting or partnership ads;
- territory, term, and takedown after expiry;
- responsibility for music, location, talent, and third-party rights;
- category exclusivity, revision limits, and cancellation.
Perpetual global rights across all media may be excessive for the creator. An organic-only licence may leave the brand unable to run the campaign it planned. Scope rights against the actual media plan, then price them.
Review claims without removing the creator
The brand should verify price, performance, qualifications, and health or environmental claims, removing absolutes that lack proper support. Voice, story, and use context should remain with the creator. When everyone reads the same script, the result is an expensive brand ad rather than credible creator media. Pair this checklist with our UGC collaboration guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does a free product require disclosure?
It may. The Competition Bureau identifies free products and services as connections that can affect how an audience evaluates independence.
Is a brand tag or discount code enough?
Usually not. Use plain, prominent, context-appropriate language and add spoken or visual disclosure where the format requires it.
Can a brand be responsible for a creator’s inaccurate claim?
The Competition Bureau warns that advertisers may also be liable for representations made through influencers. Contracts, substantiation, and reasonable review matter; this article is not legal advice.
Sources and scope
Disclosure principles come from Competition Bureau Canada’s Influencer Marketing and the Competition Act guidance. Content-rights recommendations are production and procurement practice; have specific contracts reviewed by counsel.