Blog Posts Tagged with Advertising and Marketing

Companies are increasingly marketing payment plans known as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). Although BNPL plans vary in their exact terms, people typically pay for purchases over a period of several weeks...

What marketing techniques do kids, including teens, encounter in the various digital spaces they frequent? And what do we know about their cognitive abilities at different ages and developmental...

Whether you’re a gig worker, work at a business that relies on gig workers, or enjoy the benefits of their labor, the FTC just announced a policy statement about the gig economy that merits your...

It’s ironic that the only thing clear about digital dark patterns is the FTC’s commitment to protect consumers from the injury they inflict. A new FTC Staff Report sheds light on the ways that...

Most people now rely on online reviews of products and services to help decide what to buy or where to buy it, and many companies rely on reviews to attract customers. People should be able to trust...

In the annals of marketing, “pre-approved” ranks right up there with “free” and “low-calorie” as a term guaranteed to attract people’s attention. The FTC just announced a $3 million proposed...

Are we the only ones who remember C.W. McCall’s novelty song, “Convoy”? To paraphrase the lyrics of one of the few #1 hits about truckers, “Mercy sakes alive,” the FTC is “puttin’ the hammer down” on...

Reviews and endorsements can be highly influential when consumers are shopping for widgets and gadgets. But when they’re looking for the right platform to use in a rental search, the personal...

Like peanut butter and jelly, some things just go together. Then there are things that are bad on their own and even worse when combined. A proposed FTC settlement adds a new duo to that category...

It’s a discussion taking place around kitchen tables at this very moment: “What healthcare coverage is best for us – and how can we afford it?” Even with glossaries, tables, and charts ‘n’ graphs, it...

We often talk about homes, cars, and education as the largest purchases people will ever make. But for many consumers, the cost of buying a franchise is the financial commitment of a lifetime. Some...

Globe-trotting swindlers may try to evade law enforcement agencies intent on bringing them to justice. But they’re not factoring in the tenacity of public servants like Assistant United States...

The FTC has been fighting COVID-related deception on multiple fronts. We’ve challenged bogus claims for “treatments.” We’ve taken action against companies that targeted cash-strapped small businesses...

As the old adage goes, the three rules of real estate are “location, location, location.” But according to the FTC, online real estate company Opendoor Labs pitched its services to home sellers with...

Take a closer look at some of the companies that publicly proclaim to “Support Our Troops” and you may find illegal conduct suggesting that a more accurate slogan for them could be “Thwart Our Troops...

Kaput. Kerflooey. On the fritz. Regardless of what you call it, when products break down, consumers have a choice. They can go back to the dealer. They can visit a local fix-it shop. Or they can try...

Millions of Americans look to Walmart as their go-to place to pick up essentials. According to a complaint filed by the FTC , among the people who have come to rely on Walmart for their day-to-day...

In a drive toward truth and transparency in the car buying process, the FTC is considering a rule designed to fight deceptive advertising, crack down on bait-and-switch marketing, and put a stop to...

The dual dynamos that power our economy are America’s 32 million small businesses and the more than 60 million people they employ. So when small businesses become targets for misleading claims...

If one year equals seven in dog years, nine years is probably close to a century in technology time. That’s why the FTC is taking a fresh look at its guidance to businesses on digital advertising –...