EASA’s Influencer Marketing Standards Training: Spotlight on Deutscher Werberat (DWR) / ZAW

14 March 2025

The European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) has introduced the Influencer Marketing Standards Training (IMST), an initiative aimed at promoting responsible influencer marketing across Europe. Developed and managed by local Self-Regulatory Organisations (SROs), these training programs provide participants with essential knowledge of advertising standards, fostering awareness of ethical marketing practices and supporting transparent communication.

Several countries have already launched their IMST courses, with more currently in development, and the Deutscher Werberat (DWR) / ZAW is one of them. Starting in the fall of 2024 and in cooperation with EASA, the German SRO has been contributing to the professionalisation of the industry by training influencers as well as agencies and companies on responsible social media practices.

Betting on the e-learning model

As the majority of other SROs, the Deutscher Werberat (DWR) opted for an e-learning model, offering their training on a platform called 360learning. It consists of a 90-minute online course that combines interactive elements such as videos, examples, and images, with knowledge quizzes, and ends with a test.

The training takes into account both national and European legal regulations and covers a broad spectrum of topics, from proper ad labelling to raising awareness of misleading advertisement and social responsibility. Upon successful completion, participants get a confirmation document from the DWR/ZAW.

Significant benefits that go beyond knowledge

The training is addressed both to influencers, who want to be informed about advertising rules in order to advertise responsibly for brands in their profiles, and to companies and agencies who want to work specifically with responsible content creators.

As DWR/ZAW vindicates, taking part in this training offers influencers the chance to openly show that compliance with ad standards is important to them and therefore that they are aware of their responsibilities when advertising products and services on their social media. Participants who have completed the training not only benefit from the knowledge they acquired, but they are also set apart from other influencers and therefore have a competitive advantage when acquiring cooperation partners.

Global support from the industry

Finally, the Deutscher Werberat has a vast list of supporters, mainly agencies, platforms, brands, and management, recommending their talents to complete this training. Within them, we can find all the big relevant platforms like Google, YouTube, Meta, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and so on.

👉 For more details about DWR/ZAW’s influencer training, visit: https://influencertraining.de/

👉 For more information about DWR/ZAW’s ongoing work and initiatives, visit: https://www.instagram.com/deutscherwerberat/