The FTC is making headlines after it updated an endorsement guide that laid down regulations and recommendations regarding influencer marketing. This includes the world of online reviews done for commercial purposes.
The new revamp is done to make sure firms as well as advertisers refrain from copying others having fake reviews as well as testimonials that are generated through paid means. And as a result of this behavior, it just covers up the whole organic benefits of the endeavor.
Moreover, such guidance is definitely not something that is going to be enforced on anyone. However, it does provide major insights in terms of the types of activity taking place and how the FTC may think such activities are not only wrong but clearly not fair too.
Similar to the past, the regulatory body feels that material links amongst endorsers as well as advertisers need to be unveiled to the respective consumers to ensure some sort of transparency does exist.
Such a document had been issued on Thursday and this entails a list of guidelines on some specific matters that entail a huge expansion of marketing and some recommendations linked to disclosure. At the same time, there would be guidance linked to how advertisers are seeing reviews that are put out by consumers across the board.
Among other things, the FTC mentioned how in the world of social media, certain tags would represent an endorsement. And then the agency spoke about disclosures in any sort of electronic platform must be enforced and never avoided.
For example, any form of disclosure that is presented with the term more cannot be classified as unavoidable. So people need to be mindful of that. Moreover, this new document also speaks about how firms need to stop themselves from distorting client feedback or any reviews that come their way.
So many companies do that by making edits or by causing suppression.
Hence, the FTC claims that links between both the marketers and the influencers need to be double-checked as that goes above and beyond payments done through monetary means.
Common examples of such links include family terms, attaining early access to goods and services, and maybe being declared the winner for something.
Ads that are directed toward kids are of major concern for obvious reasons. The regulatory body knows through research that many ads are directed to manipulate or blackmail younger audiences.
Therefore, no disclosure would stand true for kids, the leading agency has gone on to mention. But it does hope to include some more added measures linked to ads and kids in the world of digital media.
Such recommendations regarding these new forms of guidance appear to arise in various other formats like the FTC’s responses to questions people tend to ask on a routine basis. At the same time, it’s related to actions getting enforced too.
It’s great to see the FTC taking a strong stance on such endeavors before it’s too late. What do you think?
Read next: Final Changes Added To Much-Anticipated Online Safety Bill As It Comes Close To Approval
The new revamp is done to make sure firms as well as advertisers refrain from copying others having fake reviews as well as testimonials that are generated through paid means. And as a result of this behavior, it just covers up the whole organic benefits of the endeavor.
Moreover, such guidance is definitely not something that is going to be enforced on anyone. However, it does provide major insights in terms of the types of activity taking place and how the FTC may think such activities are not only wrong but clearly not fair too.
Similar to the past, the regulatory body feels that material links amongst endorsers as well as advertisers need to be unveiled to the respective consumers to ensure some sort of transparency does exist.
Such a document had been issued on Thursday and this entails a list of guidelines on some specific matters that entail a huge expansion of marketing and some recommendations linked to disclosure. At the same time, there would be guidance linked to how advertisers are seeing reviews that are put out by consumers across the board.
Among other things, the FTC mentioned how in the world of social media, certain tags would represent an endorsement. And then the agency spoke about disclosures in any sort of electronic platform must be enforced and never avoided.
For example, any form of disclosure that is presented with the term more cannot be classified as unavoidable. So people need to be mindful of that. Moreover, this new document also speaks about how firms need to stop themselves from distorting client feedback or any reviews that come their way.
So many companies do that by making edits or by causing suppression.
Hence, the FTC claims that links between both the marketers and the influencers need to be double-checked as that goes above and beyond payments done through monetary means.
Common examples of such links include family terms, attaining early access to goods and services, and maybe being declared the winner for something.
Ads that are directed toward kids are of major concern for obvious reasons. The regulatory body knows through research that many ads are directed to manipulate or blackmail younger audiences.
Therefore, no disclosure would stand true for kids, the leading agency has gone on to mention. But it does hope to include some more added measures linked to ads and kids in the world of digital media.
Such recommendations regarding these new forms of guidance appear to arise in various other formats like the FTC’s responses to questions people tend to ask on a routine basis. At the same time, it’s related to actions getting enforced too.
It’s great to see the FTC taking a strong stance on such endeavors before it’s too late. What do you think?
Read next: Final Changes Added To Much-Anticipated Online Safety Bill As It Comes Close To Approval
