A Like, a Follow and a Facelift too?
Social Media Marketing is taking over traditional advertising with full force, and cosmetic surgeons are jumping on the bandwagon in the most unethical of fashions.
As we near the end of 2019, social media continues to function as a lucrative marketing and promotional tool for many businesses. Just ask influencer Grace Beverley, who has introduced and marketed three multi-million dollar fitness brands exclusively through social media in the last two years.
As influencers like Grace are well aware, marketing brands through social media works well due to the theory of Marketing Communications. A 2016 Communications and IT journal article confirms that applying Marketing Communications to social media sites like Instagram, allows brands to ‘present a voice…and a means to create dialogue and build relationships with consumers.’ Social media also give brands more of an opportunity to describe and advertise their products in-depth to consumers, in a context that does not feel overtly like an advertisement.
Yet user awareness around this non-traditional marketing method is still somewhat behind. This issue is particularly rife in the Instagram platform; according to one US study by Open Influence, 45.7% of survey respondents indicated they were unaware that the hashtags #ad, #paid, #spon, #collab, and #partner referred to a sponsored or paid post on Instagram. It appears this lack of knowledge has had the resulting effect of making social media a powerful marketing tool and a potentially unethical one too…
With particular regard to the accounts of Cosmetologists and Plastic Surgeons, it appears that Instagram users who follow these accounts are becoming vulnerable to the effects of advertising cosmetic procedures on patients and other bodily improvements on the platform.
In a bid to protect these vulnerable users, this year Instagram banned posts relating to cosmetic procedures and further declared that sponsored posts on Instagram should be stated explicitly. Yet this ban only relates to posts making ‘miraculous or unsubstantiated claims’ about a cosmetic product or service. In addition, the accounts that are personally run by plastic surgeons or clinics are able to further skirt around advertisement rules, as although they are marketing their services and products, no one has directly paid them to post about it. This type of posting has been dubbed ‘Medutainment’.
The AMA Journal of Ethics further defines Medutainment as ‘using the patient-physician relationship as a source of entertainment by which to increase notoriety or attract patients’. One example is Dr. Jason Diamond, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon with 239,000 followers, thanks to his work on Hollywood celebrities and an Instagram slideshow of incredible facial transformations.
Dr. Diamond doesn’t just work on celebrities however, but posts before and after photos of various patients, as well as procedure videos on his Instagram account. He also doesn’t disclose any of his posts as advertisements. Check out the account here; but beware, only visit his page if you are not squeamish!
Similar to that of Dr. Diamond, one only needs to view the comments on plastic surgeon Dr. Kassir’s Instagram to see that these Medutainment posts are bringing in clients seeking personal improvement, and arguably providing a space which promotes feelings of inadequacy among Instagram users — who may already lack body confidence.
This is supported by academic researchers into the effects of social media on female body image, who published a study revealing that SNS (social networking sites) like Instagram, reinforce popular beauty ideals to users because they form part of the Tripartite Influence Model. And because of the picture-oriented nature of Instagram, the constant promotional material on plastic surgeons' accounts can encourage individuals to make rushed cosmetic changes, which may, in turn, lead to ‘lowered self-esteem and increased risk of depression and anxiety’.
What the above study appears to suggest is that the unprecedented time spent on platforms like Instagram, coupled with the introduction of Medutainment methods that go to questioning body image, is threatening the mental health of SNS users, particularly young women.
‘The continued use of plastic surgery promotion on Instagram brings a real chance of harming patients physically, psychologically and financially.’
Many medical authorities have also begun to express concern over the rising trend. In the Australasian Journal of Plastic Surgery, one surgeon wrote that the continued use of plastic surgery promotion on Instagram brings a ‘real chance of harming patients physically, psychologically and financially’. And not only does Medutainment-Esque marketing have the ability to negatively impact vulnerable audiences, but it also risks breaching client confidentiality and other privacy laws owed by medical practitioners to their patients.
Yet just like any other controversial media trend, there are many different perspectives among academic experts. For example, The SAGE Handbook of Social Media presents a more positive view of medical-related social media accounts, noting they provide a place for ordinary users to research and communicate about all things health and medical-related, and also connect with others through shared experiences. Although, this would seem to refer to accounts that are specifically educational and do not hope to acquire business out of their followers, like @MedicalTalks.
In the age of sharing and baring all on social media, it seems natural that the cosmetic industry would attempt to capture their desired target market through Instagram. And with every new media affordance, comes the potential for ethical ramifications. Yet, the medical and cosmetic industry is a high-risk but influential area, and it is clear that more than other areas, its convergence from commercial to social media must be handled with the utmost professionalism.
And in consensus with the majority of research on this issue, it is my view that Instagram would better serve their users with increased ethical protections against undisclosed cosmetic advertising. But for now, as long as the likes of Dr. Diamond keep their Instagram in check with the relevant medical boards, they can stay. For now.
