As of December 1, bloggers who receive cash or in-kind payments to review a product must disclose this material connections. Celebrity endorsements will also be covered by the new rules.
According to the new rules, "both advertisers and endorsers may be liable for false or unsubstantiated claims made in an endorsement," the agency said.
They also have to disclose a monetary connection with a company in other situations.
"Celebrities have a duty to disclose their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media," the agency said.
This is very big news for many bloggers, but it gets back to the concept I talk about and that is so common in sustainability---authenticity. Isn’t time we are all authentic with our messages?
I’ve written about products or services before that I found I liked and never felt like someone should pay me to talk about them. I only talk about products and services that I feel warrant it. In the same respect, I mention products and services that might need some work. To me it is all about total transparency and it is how we can all learn from each other.
The FTC may be cracking down on misleading endorsements and testimonials, yet for many of us, it will be writing as usual…writing about things that really matter.
It’s really time for all us to embrace total transparency. It’s working in the sustainability world and it can work here too.
Colette Chandler
Helping You Understand and Profit from Consumer Health and Green Trends
