Media-Marketing and Branded Content Policy Analysis: UK and Spain

This report by the Branded Content Governance project presents a comparative study of policy processes and branded content governance in Spain and the United Kingdom. It compares the regulatory frameworks governing branded content practices and their implementation in Spain and the United Kingdom, with particular emphasis on the legal, institutional, and self-regulatory mechanisms that shape their governance. It also examines policy developments and processes, including the Online Advertising Programme consultation and action in the UK, and recent developments in influencer law and regulation in Spain. This report presents a summary of research involving interviews, meetings and discussion with policy actors and stakeholders. It provides a detailed analysis of the legal-regulatory frameworks affecting branded content in the UK and Spain and policy developments in the period 2022-2025. The report includes a summary of the BCGP's analysis of ‘problems’ in branded content governance and proposals for actions (‘mitigations’) that seek to remedy these problems.This major report forms part of the Branded Content Governance Project (BCGP) and our analysis of governance across 32 countries (Hardy et al. 2025) as well as more detailed comparative analysis of the UK and Spain focused on practitioners' 'governance-in-practice (MacRury et al. 2025) and media reporting (Hardy 2025). For a summary of BCGP reports, see 10.25441/arts.30998353.