Tips for walking the legal tightrope with your marketing
From promotional hyperbole to retouched or ‘found’ photos, perils abound. Follow these guidelines to stay out of court and maintain consumer trust.
If they do find something wrong, especially in your marketing materials, it can mean a lawsuit and a major payday for them.
You must keep your work in line, legally speaking, or you risk negative attention, lawsuits, loss of consumer trust and damage to your brand.
Follow these tips to avoid legal hot water:
1. Just don’t lie.
If you get caught lying in your marketing, expect major repercussions. The FTC might fine you, or a wronged customer might sue.
Of course, marketing is more than just conveying truth versus lies; it’s how a marketer presents truth to the audience. What truth is included, and what is left secret? What information is emphasized, and what’s in small print at the bottom?
When making statements, slogans and opinions, make sure you aren’t lying. Even unintentional lies or falsehoods can land you in trouble. It happens to everybody, including huge corporations.
Here are a few examples of slogans and ad statements that have gotten companies sued:
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