Marketing Communications
The FTC has come out with an FAQ for social media and blogger endorsements. The FAQ is in response to requests from ad agencies, bloggers and advertisers.
Social media practitioners have been concerned about staying within compliance, especially in light of Ann Taylor being called on the carpet for its blogger engagement practices under the new FTC guidelines.
Last year's revisions to the FTC's Endorsement Guides specifically target bloggers who endorse products or services, requiring bloggers to disclosure the relationship between the blogger and the company that offers the endorsed service.
The FAQ's clear up several circulating myths: there are no fines for bloggers who don't comply, the FTC has no plans to monitor bloggers and a general disclosure on the site is not sufficient - disclosures should be part of the post about the product, including video or Twitter posts. The FTC will be monitoring advertisers to make sure their practices surrounding social media endorsements are in line with the updated rules, i.e., encouraging disclosures.
Advertisers, ad and PR agencies and social media strategists, be sure everyone on your teams have this information. Put in place formal social media practices that encourage your blogger engagements to disclose any free gifts or paid endorsements.
The FTC's FAQ's are very easy read and provide the clear guidelines you'll need. Download them using the link below and distribute them to team members.
[ Resources for you ]
FTC Facts for Business. The FTC's Revised Endorsement Guidelines: What People are Asking
| Download the FTC's Endorsement FAQs |
If you haven't seen Old Spice's gone-viral social media video campaign, the production and implementation is impressive. But did the strategy work? The buzz seems to be that the campaign drove sales down. PR Week reports otherwise.
Tabvertising
Apple's iPad is ushering in a new wave of rich media consumption expectations. "Apps" have a whole new meaning for the "third screen." And, same goes for "content" and "mobile" for that matter.
iPad, sales which number 3.27 million in its first three-months, along with other new tablets emerging in the marketplace will make the social media storm feel like a mere media breeze during the coming 3-5 years.
With over 10,000 apps already available for the iPad, we facing yet another media revolution at least as important as the World Wide Web.
An industry report by IAB, looks at the marketing and advertising opportunities for brands on tablet devices, such as the iPad. To say IAB is excited about them is an epic understatement, but does cite cost, penetration and doubters as barriers.
IAB's Tabvertising document is an excellent primer on the marketing opportunities for tablets. Keeping up on trends means staying competitive so start your tablet content planning. It will impact your marketing sooner rather than later.
[ Resources for you ]
Tabvertising: iPad and Other Tablets: The advertising and marketing opportunties
