New FTC Endorsement Guidelines affects testimonials, bloggers and celebs

[Sharky]

Below outlines some of the more significant changes made by the FTC:
-The endorsement message must reflect the true opinion, experience and findings of the endorser (whether a consumer, celebrity or an organization)
- All claims and statements made in an the endorsement message must reflect what consumers can generally achieve otherwise it should clearly disclose the generally expected performance
- All claims and statements must be substantiated
- All material connections between the advertiser and endorser must be disclosed (whether monetary, in form of gift or research funding)

FTC Press Release can be found here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm


How do you think this will affect our industry?

[XPays]

since all of the folks banging away with noncompliant pages are offshore, probably none lol

[Sharky]

lol, but income trails through the US no doubt.

The adult industry is notorious for fake reviews, almost everyone of us has used them at some point or another...

Things have really gotten out of hand in Mainstream. The "get ripped in 5 days" ads are all over the place, even on Tubes now!

[TheDoc]

Normal Results: Members login and masturbate...

We took some testimonials down where the client makes claims about our products and replaced them service testimonials. Like: "I got instant access, I got more than I asked for, this is exactly what I needed, your support is fast, and ranting support emails."

I claim all over you get instant access, instant download, ships in 3 days, whatever it is.. so I don't have to make any unique claims about the service.


On our review sites we put at the bottom of the reviews... "we buy products, we try the products, and we tell you which products you should and shouldn't buy so you don't get ripped off." Some crap like that.

Or something like .. "This has been a communication of information for profit."

Emails, just add in personality... "...and don't forget if you like this and pick it up, I get a little reward called... beer money!"


Disclaimers taken care of..

[Sly]

From the various information I've read about it... they are "guidelines" and nobody is actually going to attempt to enforce anything. Enforcing something like that would be pretty funny though. Talk about a waste of time.

[PornMD]

The Internet Marketing community will finally have to actually get real testimonials from people for their overpriced info products...that's at least one good thing that'll come of it. Honestly it's been a long time coming and glad something has happened to put a foot down against fraudulent BS.

[Sharky]

Yeah I agree. Good will eventually come of this. It will be interesting to see how it is enforced though. I have a feeling there might be a smash and grab try by the gov though