Effective marketing draws
customers to a business and, hopefully, increases profits. When a business
advertises products or otherwise communicates with potential customers,
marketing communications must be responsible, and the company must be
accountable for what it says in its marketing materials. Irresponsible
marketing may result in injuries to customers -- physically or financially.
Further, untruthful or misleading advertisements may expose the business to lawsuits
from customers.
Truthful Content: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
enforces laws regarding marketing and advertisements. In general, responsible
marketing communications must "tell the truth and not mislead
consumers," according to a writer on the FTC's Bureau of Consumer
Protection Business Center website. Businesses cannot lie in advertisements or
other marketing communications. While related to truthful content, the
communications also cannot be misleading or deceptive.
Not Deceptive:
An advertisement may be truthful, yet still be deceptive. If a business
does not include all the relevant facts, or otherwise slants the language of
the marketing communication in a way that a customer would be mislead by the
facts of the content, the communication is not considered a responsible type of
message.
Full Disclosure in Plain Language: Problems or concerns related to the product
must be clearly stated in a conspicuous spot on the marketing communication and
in language that the average consumer will understand. Any limits on liability
or concerns regarding warranties or other promises must be fully spelled out
either in the advertisement or in a supplement that accompanies the
advertisement. Consumers must be provided with enough information about the
product to make an informed decision as to whether they want to expend their
resources on that item.
Inoffensive Content: The content must also "fit" the intended audience. The
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), for example, makes a point to
companies that produce video games or software intended for mature audiences --
they must not target younger consumers. A game labeled "Mature"
should not be advertised during times when the programming is primarily geared
toward a younger audience, such as Saturday morning cartoon shows. Further, the
content of the advertisement should not be offensive to the general public.