Marketing Tip Monday: To what extent are you bending the truth in your advertising? Chances are, if you are not sure whether your ad is factually supported, you should re-consider it. False/deceptive advertising is no joke! You don’t want to get into trouble because of accidental ignorance. Therefore, making yourself aware of the law is the best preventative method to avoiding trouble. Advertising should be the whole truth, fair, and substantiated. The FTC states an ad is deceptive if it contains a message that “is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably under the circumstances; and is ‘material’”, meaning it influenced a consumer’s decision to buy a product. It must also not omit information. An ad is unfair if “it causes or is likely to cause substantial consumer injury which a consumer could not reasonably avoid and it is not outweighed by the benefit to consumers.” In Layman’s terms? If you advertise your new diet supplement saying: “Guaranteed six pack in 3 weeks!”, you better make sure this miracle product is 100% going to transform the bodies of all the people that use it in three weeks. Maybe it is true that your product, in conjunction with diet and exercise, has been proven to boost significant abdominal muscle mass in a short period. If this is the case, be clear about it; but don’t over-promise. It could lead to trouble. If it can be misinterpreted, find another way to say it! If you’re not sure the best way to advertise your product, err on the side of caution and contact Amaniac Design.
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