DISCLOSURE CENTER
A Focus on Marketer & Consumer Safety
Online reviews are a powerful tool for businesses and consumers alike. Enhancing your company’s digital presence and reputation is undoubtedly a valid objective, and acquiring genuine and impartial reviews from customers and experts plays a pivotal role in this process. However, it’s essential to maintain integrity in your marketing strategies. Misrepresentation of your products and services is not only unethical but can also backfire and lead to fines.
The Zuberance Advocacy Hub offers a unique platform for generating genuine, influential reviews by leveraging the voices of your most passionate customers. However, it’s crucial to maintain transparency and honesty in this process if you decide to reward those behaviors in any way. As per the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, it’s mandatory for both marketers and advocates to disclose any incentives involved in the review process.
The FTC publishes a guide for paid reviews. You can download it here.
Marketer’s Responsibility
As a marketer using the Zuberance Advocacy Hub, you are responsible for ensuring that your advocates understand the importance of disclosure. Here’s what you need to do:
- Inform Advocates: Clearly communicate to your advocates that any reward or incentive they receive for their review must be disclosed.
- Guide on How to Disclose: Provide advocates with simple, clear instructions on how to include a disclosure in their reviews. For example, using phrases like “I received a [reward/incentive] from [Your Company Name] for sharing my opinion.”
- Monitor Reviews: Regularly monitor the reviews generated through your campaigns to ensure compliance with FTC guidelines.
- Educational Resources: Offer resources and training materials to advocates about the importance and methods of proper disclosure.
Advocate’s Responsibility
As an advocate participating in the Zuberance Advocacy Hub, your honest opinions are highly valued. However, transparency is key. Here’s what you need to do:
- Disclose Incentives: Always include a disclosure in your review if you received a reward or incentive. For example, “I was rewarded by [Company Name] for my honest review.”
- Be Truthful: Your reviews should reflect your genuine experience and opinion about the product or service.
- Follow the Guidelines: Familiarize yourself with the FTC’s guidelines on endorsements to understand your responsibilities fully.
Ensuring Compliance
Zuberance is committed to upholding the highest standards of honesty and transparency in advocate marketing. We strive to ensure that all participants adhere to FTC guidelines and our own ethical standards. Violations of these guidelines can lead to removal from the Zuberance Advocacy Hub and other potential consequences.
