Listen to Episode 8 of Venable’s Ad Law Tool Kit Show—”Social Media, Influencers, and Endorsements”

Episode 8 of the Ad Law Tool Kit Show, “Social Media, Influencers, and Endorsements,” is now available. Listen here, or search for it in your favorite podcast player.

Advertisers increasingly view social media as an opportunity to have influencers speak positively about their products and services. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has made it clear that rules regarding disclosure of material connections also apply in the social media context.

In this episode, Venable partner Melissa Steinman and I go over guidelines that include straightforward declarations like “X Company gave me a free product” or hashtags like #ad, emphasizing upfront, noticeable disclosures. Specific rules apply for different content formats, urging companies to monitor and educate employees and third-party implementers to prevent regulatory issues.

Venable’s Ad Law Tool Kit Show will help you and your organization identify and avoid potentially problematic advertising practices. Over the course of 12 episodes, we examine the increasingly complex regulatory landscape that governs the promotion of goods and services—from negative option marketing to copyright protection and influencer endorsements.

If you have specific questions after listening to this episode, don’t hesitate to contact me or Melissa to arrange a conversation. And check out more chapters of Venable’s Advertising Law Tool Kit. You can also download the complete Tool Kit or bookmark the link to our e-book for quick access to these industry best practices.

And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to this award-winning blog, and tune in to our comprehensive webinar series, where our team addresses current events and examines themes and issues important to advertising and marketing.

Tune in next week for a conversation between my co-host, Len Gordon, and Venable partner Justin Pierce about “Copyright Counseling and Protection.”