Who is Patrick Marck?
Together with a steering committee comprising influencers, creators, agencies, and other key stakeholders in the influencer marketing ecosystem, Patrick established the Influencer Marketing Alliance to serve as the voice of the sector. As Director of FeWeb, Patrick supports over 400 member companies, including digital professionals, agencies, and digital service providers, by advocating for their interests, facilitating knowledge exchange, inspiring the industry, and organising training programmes. Before his work with FeWeb and the Influencer Marketing Alliance, Patrick played a pivotal role in professionalising the direct marketing sector at the Belgian Direct Marketing Association.

Every content creator and influencer is a media company — just like DPG or RTL. That’s not an opinion, it’s legislation. The Audiovisual Media Directive sets out the rules, which are translated into the Flemish and Walloon media decrees.

In Flanders, the Flemish Media Regulator (VRM) interpreted these rules further by introducing the Content Creators Protocol, adding additional obligations. As the supervisory authority, the VRM monitors creators and can issue warnings or even fines. Average Rob, for example, recently received a €5,000 fine for failing to include a double advertising disclosure in a commercial post. Simply starting a post with “advertising” is not enough — the “paid partnership” box must also be ticked. The equal level playing field with traditional media no longer exists.

A jumble of rules

In practice, this means that every individual creator must know and apply the same rules that the legal departments of major media companies follow. In addition, the Belgian Economic Code and various other national rules apply — most of which are based on European directives. In other words: the rules differ from country to country, and even from region to region. Searching online for guidance almost always leads to conflicting or inconsistent recommendations.

On top of that, the advertising sector regulates itself as well. The Advertising Council (Raad voor Reclame / Conseil de la Publicité) follows the International Chamber of Commerce Code for Advertising, supplemented by topic-specific rules and recommendations. Self-regulation also differs per country.

The stakes are high

This brings us to the independent content creator or influencer who publishes a commercial post online. It’s easy to see why it is nearly impossible for all creators to know and apply every rule. Most rely on the completeness of the client’s briefing and/or the support of an agency or brand. The stakes are high: brand reputation (and that of the agency and creator), brand safety, future collaborations, and the trust of followers.

The solution is online

The Influencer Certificate provides a solution for all parties — creators, agencies, brands, and followers. This online learning programme brings together all advertising rules in an accessible, clear and digestible way, which is crucial for such a diverse creator community. An exam with practical examples tests the participant’s knowledge. After achieving a minimum score of 70%, the creator receives their certificate, valid for one year. After a year, a refresher course and an updated exam — focusing on new rules — are required.

The Jury for Fair Advertising Practice (JEP) monitors the accounts of certified influencers and provides concrete guidance. They indicate what can be improved and what must be corrected — without penalising creators. Brands and agencies commit to working only with certified influencers.

A first in the advertising sector

In this way, we professionalise the influencer marketing sector, safeguard its growth, protect brand safety and the reputation of all parties, and respect the trust of followers. The Influencer Certificate is also the result of close collaboration between all involved professional associations. The Influencer Marketing Alliance (powered by FeWeb) and the Advertising Council initiated the project, together with UBA (brands), ACC (agencies), FeWeb (digital agencies & professionals), BAM (marketers), UMA (media agencies) and JEP (with thanks to Steller Tech for the monitoring tool). Around ten other European countries have since launched their own Influencer Certificate, grouped under the AdEthics programme of EASA (adethics.org).

The Influencer Certificate is not only a genuine game-changer — it is also a first in the advertising industry.

TIP 1: Proove your professionalism: get your Certificate

Are you an influencer, content creator, or an (influencer) marketer at a brand or agency? Take the e-learning course at www.influencercertificaat.be. You’ll learn the rules — and how to apply them.

As an influencer, you’ll receive a Certificate that strengthens trust with your clients, agencies, and followers.

As a marketer, you’ll receive an attestation that reinforces your company’s advertising compliance.

On the website, you’ll also find a list of all Certified Influencers.

TIP 2: Support the Certificate & engage your company

Are you a brand or an agency? Commit to working exclusively with Certified Influencers in the future. You’ll protect your reputation while contributing to the professionalisation and long-term sustainability of the sector. At www.influencercertificaat.be/partners, you can make your commitment — and your logo will be added to the list of partners.

Would you like to discover the other 26 marketers’ and content creators’ visions for 2026? Download the whitepaper here.