What does Clarity of Meaning mean in Native Advertising?

What does Clarity of Meaning mean in Native Advertising?

Disclosures must be understandable.

Disclosures are not effective unless consumers understand them to mean that native ads are commercial advertising.  Disclosures should be in plain language that is as straightforward as possible.  An advertiser also should make disclosures in the same language as the predominant language in which the ad is presented.  Advertisers should avoid using:

• Technical or industry jargon;

• Different terminology to mean the same thing in different places on a publisher site;

• The same terminology to mean different things on a publisher site;

• Terms that customarily have different meanings to consumers in other situations;

• Unfamiliar icons or abbreviations; or

• Company logos or brand names unaccompanied by a clear text disclosure.

Terms likely to be understood include “Ad,” “Advertisement,” “Paid Advertisement,” “Sponsored Advertising Content,” or some variation thereof.  Advertisers should not use terms such as “Promoted” or “Promoted Stories,” which in this context are at best ambiguous and potentially could mislead consumers that advertising content is endorsed by a publisher site.  Furthermore, depending on the context, consumers reasonably may interpret other terms, such as “Presented by [X],” “Brought to You by [X],” “Promoted by [X],” or “Sponsored by [X]” to mean that a sponsoring advertiser funded or “underwrote” but did not create or influence the content.

In addition, terms might not be sufficiently clear to consumers if used on a publisher site that also uses different terms to label ads.  Using consistent terminology to identify ads on the same publisher site decreases the likelihood that consumers will misunderstand a native ad’s disclosure.  Moreover, company logos and names on their own are not likely adequate to signal that content is commercial advertising.

 

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For more information, see here:  https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/native-advertising-guide-businesses

 

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