New FTC resources for social media influencers

Whether you are an advertiser that uses influencers in your marketing or an influencer who works with brands a new publication issued by the FTC is one you should read. It is called Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers. The publication is written for non-lawyers and summarizes the basics, namely explaining that if you endorse a

HOW HAMMING IT UP CAN BE A CLASSIC FAIL

So here’s a basic rule: know your customers before trying to sell them. As the comment on this photo indicates, Walmart should have taken a minute to understand that people who celebrate Chanukah likely are not going to be shopping for boneless smoked ham, or any ham. It’s a classic example of (1) not paying

By | November 19th, 2015|Advertising, Brand Mistakes|0 Comments

(TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT) SIZE MATTERS

Brands love to tout their product benefits in advertising. The law allows for a certain amount of “flexibility” with the truth but there’s a line that can be and often is crossed. Stretching the truth is called “puffery” (as in “We’re the Best [fill in the blank],” which is permitted since consumers rarely if ever

By | November 4th, 2015|Advertising, Brand Mistakes, False Advertising|0 Comments

(PIZZA) PIE IN THE FACE

Remember last year’s Super Bowl Oreo tweet during the blackout?  This year’s entry for Twitter brand brilliance was during another major contest — the Grammy Awards.  Australian superstar rapper Iggy Azalea earlier that day sent out a tweet to her 4.2 million fans decrying that a Papa John’s delivery person made her cell phone number public, resulting in

By | February 17th, 2015|Brand Mistakes, Twitter and Brands|0 Comments