‘You shouldn’t embarrass people’ - Promoters cautioned about how they market their events

Event promotion and business advertising can quickly cross the line from clever marketing to outright humiliation when real people become punchlines for clicks and likes.

That is the clear warning from Strictly 2K promoter Ibrahim 'IB' Konteh, who says while controversy has always been part of entertainment marketing, promoters must exercise restraint and social responsibility when using viral situations to sell events.

"I think there has to be some level of corporate or social responsibility to ensure that the person is not being misrepresented or being shown in a less than light," Konteh said.

His comments come amid backlash over party promoters recently using digitally altered images of a popular social media individual - who is involved in a feud with a woman - to promote events. Some of the images depict the man in drag, a portrayal Konteh described as going too far.

"No matter how you feel about the situation, depicting a man in drag and in a wig, it's not cool and it's not okay."

Konteh said his own promotions have taken a different approach, using humour and empowerment rather than ridicule. He pointed to how other events referenced the woman involved in the feud.

"The songs which were used were Independent Lady or Get The Boy Out Of My Life, which is more in a positive light for her," Konteh said. He said the response to those posts reflected that intention, as persons found them amusing.

According to Konteh, the difference lies in intent and impact. He acknowledged, however, that the entertainment industry operates without a formal code of ethics, leaving such decisions up to individual promoters.

"It's just hoping that these promoters do the morally right thing alongside understanding that these people have lives outside of the entertainment space. They have families."

While many events include disclaimers allowing photos taken at parties to be used for marketing, Konteh said that consent and respect still matter. He noted that in the past, persons have asked for certain photos to be removed for various reasons, and they are accommodated.

"You can't just think about marketing your event," he warned. "You shouldn't embarrass people or try to depict people in a less than light or bring down their brand or reputation."

One legal expert opined that ignoring that advice could have serious consequences. Attorney Chukwuemeka Cameron, a privacy and regulatory compliance specialist, said the creation and use of altered images for promotion may amount to a criminal offence under Jamaica's Data Protection Act.

"In the Jamaican context, under the Data Protection Act, where someone uses another individual's personal data, including biometric data and the image of a person, and uses it for commercial gain without any lawful basis, that is a criminal offence," Cameron said.

He explained that digitally altering an image to suggest behaviour that is untrue introduces an added level of harm.

"If a man is made out to be someone who dresses in drag and that image is put on social media, that significantly lowers him in the eyes of the public and worse, exposes him to harm," he said.

Cameron stressed that while defamation is no longer a criminal offence in Jamaica, civil action is still a possibility. According to Cameron, even anonymous or overseas accounts are not beyond the reach of the law.

"You can apply to the court to have the platform disclose who is behind the account, because that person had to sign up with an email or identifying information. The real question is whether victims can afford the process."

He also noted that there is an emotional cost of going to court, as the system currently places a heavy burden on the victim. He called for a complete review of how local legislation addresses what is published on social media, opining that current laws do not adequately deal with cyberbullying and online harassment.

"You have to balance freedom of expression with the harm caused. Once there is a clear distinction where a person is being put in a bad light and is losing from it, there must be consequences."