Testimonials and Endorsements - Is your advertising on thin ice?
I've been noticing what seems to be an increasing number of income claims, questionable testimonials, and product endorsements here at the WF. Yes, the same could be said for online advertising in general . . . except that, IMO, we marketers, of all people, should know better.
I recently did a little digging for my own purposes and thought a share of info might be helpful to others here.
The link at the bottom of the post is a short pdf (12 pages) from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that I believe all marketers should read. It contains "guides" for the use of testimonials and endorsements in advertising.
Have you witnessed some of these guidelines being ignored, or maybe trampled is a better word? (quotes from the FTC web site)
"they shouldn't talk about their experience with a product if they haven't tried it"
"(they shouldn't) make claims about a product that would require proof they don't have"
"if there is a connection between the endorser and the marketer of a product that would affect how people evaluate the endorsement, it should be disclosed"
"advertisers are advised that using unrepresentative testimonials may be misleading if they are not accompanied by information describing what consumers can generally expect from use of the product or service."
And just in case you think "I have no control over what's contained in someone's endorsement" - that seems to be an invalid argument. If you publish it online, you're responsible for its truthfulness.
Guidelines for Testimonials and Endorsements
Steve
I recently did a little digging for my own purposes and thought a share of info might be helpful to others here.
The link at the bottom of the post is a short pdf (12 pages) from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that I believe all marketers should read. It contains "guides" for the use of testimonials and endorsements in advertising.
Have you witnessed some of these guidelines being ignored, or maybe trampled is a better word? (quotes from the FTC web site)
"they shouldn't talk about their experience with a product if they haven't tried it"
"(they shouldn't) make claims about a product that would require proof they don't have"
"if there is a connection between the endorser and the marketer of a product that would affect how people evaluate the endorsement, it should be disclosed"
"advertisers are advised that using unrepresentative testimonials may be misleading if they are not accompanied by information describing what consumers can generally expect from use of the product or service."
And just in case you think "I have no control over what's contained in someone's endorsement" - that seems to be an invalid argument. If you publish it online, you're responsible for its truthfulness.
Guidelines for Testimonials and Endorsements
Steve