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4 Tips to Avoid False Advertising for your Business
October 23, 2020
Marketing is one of the most important and difficult things to do in business. To make a breakthrough, you must capture the attention of your target audience. One of the best ways to do this is through advertising. However, you must take care in the message you craft and the claims you make.
The Advertising Standards Authority receives a great many complaints each year about misleading advertising. You do not want your company’s brand and reputation tarnished by such an accusation. A Palm Harbor business attorney can help you avoid this fate. Palm Harbor business attorneys know the law and can provide you with the kind of guidance necessary to cut a solid and legal ad.
Here are a few tips to help you avoid common mistakes in advertising:
1. Don’t leave out crucial facts
If the product you are selling comes with terms and conditions, then you should make that clear in the ad. You want to ensure that the people who see or read your ad have all the information they require before they make a purchase or attempt to do so.
2. Be clear on pricing
Nothing gets companies into more trouble than misleading pricing. Everything that the potential customer has to pay for should be in the advertisement. It is illegal to bait and switch—that is, lure a consumer to your shop or site with one price only to switch to another when they are ready to purchase the item.
3. Do not make exaggerated claims about the product
It is fine for you to cast your item in the best possible light. However, you should not make unsubstantiated claims about what it can do. Claiming that your product will provide an unproven benefit can be problematic.
4. Don’t make contradictory promises
If you make a sweeping statement such as 50% off everything in your ad, then people will expect that to be the case. You should not make this claim, and then make another claim that contradicts it in the same ad. This will be taken as an intentional effort to confuse the public.
Additionally, you should point out when paid actors are reading testimonials. If you decide to cut an infomercial ad, the television audience should likewise know that the person discussing your product is being paid to do so.
The best way to protect yourself against the charge of false advertising is to become familiar with the laws that regulate it. A Palm Harbor business lawyer will help you interpret all such laws. They will also help you create an official policy for your company. This kind of guidance can help your marketing team cut ads that are less likely to receive official complaints.
Even if you follow the rules and make an ad that is in accordance with the law, there are people who may still attempt to sue you for false advertising. Business attorneys in Palm Harbor know how to handle such cases. You cannot afford to ignore such claims against you. You must take any such suit seriously and act aggressively to defend your advertisement and your company’s reputation.
If you have an in-house lawyer, it is best to put these matters into the hands of business attorneys in Palm Harbor FL who specialize in them. Such Palm Harbor business lawyers will have more experience and insight into how to deal with the case. They will also be well-read in current law regarding advertisement standards. This will make it easier for them to counter any challenge launched against your company. If you need help with false advertising, you should speak to the business lawyers in Palm Harbor FL at the Law Office of Robert Eckard & Associates.