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Being Transparent in the Social Age: Ethics & Disclosure

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By Giliann Chaikin and Stacy Taylor

 

Transparency is vital in social media and word-of-mouth marketing. The rules are constantly evolving and it’s imperative to keep fundamental principles top of mind as we engage across various social platforms with diverse audiences on behalf of our clients.

The new best practices guide from WOMMA is meant to be concise, digestible and shareable. The guide focuses on transparency, necessary disclosures, truth and substantiation, and the responsibility of companies and brands. A key reminder for all marketing professionals – when you’re unsure, always err on the side of transparency.

We’ve compiled the top updates from WOMMA’s best practices guide and important areas to keep an eye on in 2014.

 

New WOMMA Disclosure Guide key updates

 

1) Use plain language as often as possible and make sure all communications are understandable to intended audiences

2) Disclosure now needs to be in very close proximity and HIGH to where you’re making claims

3) Repeat disclosure as necessary with each claim.

4) #MayNotBeClear – in particular for abbreviations or brand names. Never underestimate your audience’s intelligence and don’t overestimate their knowledge. Spon and generic link shorteners are called out as insufficient  (“#sponsored or #ad” are okay  –Or–  “I work with XX brand”)

5) Links must be clear and conspicuous. Generic or obfuscated links are insufficient.

6) Technical limitations are not an excuse, disclosure must be present; Platforms that cannot support disclosure should not be used.

 

What to watch for in 2014

 

NATIVE ADVERTISING

  • What to watch for: Native advertising is still a bit unclear in terms of the best practices for disclosure or delineation of editorial and advertorial content. An opportunity exists for brands to provide content that is more useful for consumers than traditional advertisers.
  • What marketers can do: You cannot assume that proper ethical practices will be followed by Publishers and it is your responsibility to be transparent with consumers to not destroy their trust.

 

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS

  • What to watch for: There are a number of growing issues lately when it comes to endorsements. Partnerships between a brand and celebrity or spokesperson must be obvious in any form of communication. Examples can be found here:
  • What marketers can do: If your brand is engaged in a partnership with a celebrity or blogger, proper disclosure should be present in each claim. “Spon” is no longer a sufficient form of disclosure, however “sponsored” or “ad” are acceptable alternatives.

 

CONTESTS AND PROMOTIONS

  • What to watch for: Marketers have more responsibility and risk now than ever with the increased need for structured and auditable processes. Facebook and Pinterest for example have recently changed their promotional guidelines and what they allow brands to do on their platforms is evolving constantly.
  • What marketers can do: It’s important for all marketers to be familiar with new terms and restrictions for any platform they are using. As a rule of thumb, a platform that cannot support proper disclosure should not be used.

 

ONLINE CONSUMER REVIEWS

  • What to watch for: Companies that participate in astroturfing mask their sponsorship of a message in order to give the appearance that it’s coming from a disinterested, grassroots participant. This could include: fake reviews, purchasing of followers for pages by fake accounts, using paid support to pull positive reviews in search results, etc.
  • What marketers can do: Brands and agencies are responsible for reviews that are placed by vendors and third parties, and as marketers, we need to think about the vendors we’re hiring in every aspect. If it sounds too good to be true, then it is and could be a risk to your brand.

 

MOBILE OPTIMIZATION

  • What to watch for: All brand information and disclosures must be presented in a clear and obvious format within a mobile/tablet environment. Technical limitations is not an excuse to the FTC.
  • What marketers can do: Work with developers to make sure all information, websites and communications from your brand are optimized for mobile or tablet viewing.

 

As marketers, we can’t assume ethics will be implemented by a publisher or third party – we must be responsible in all areas. Transparency is more important than ever and consumers are expecting companies to be honest from the start. Following proper disclosure practices in an ethical, accurate and consistent manner is critical to communicating with audiences responsibly and helps to avoid damage to your brand’s reputation and potential legal, regulatory, and financial risk.

Stay smart out there, and remember – when in doubt, be transparent!

For additional information, visit www.womma.org/ethics. WOMMA is rolling out additional guidance and an expanded toolkit with revisions to key legacy documents in 2014.

 

giliann chaikin Taylor, Stacy

-Giliann Chaikin is an Account Executive and Stacy Taylor is a Senior Account Executive at  Zócalo Group. Follow them on Twitter at @giliannchaikin and @stacytaylor87. Zócalo Group is  a social, digital and word of mouth marketing agency focused on making our clients the most recommended brands in their categories. 

The post Being Transparent in the Social Age: Ethics & Disclosure appeared first on Zócalo Group.


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