This post is a combination of the absurdly humorous, via The Onion:
Issuing a condemnation of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s recent Boneless Variety Bucket commercials, the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday fined the fast food giant $600,000 and ordered it to discontinue all broadcasts containing “false and misleading suggestions” that its heated chicken products are intended for consumption.
“KFC’s claim that its fried offerings have ‘that taste you’ll just love to eat’ is in direct violation of federal regulations,” acting FCC chairman Michael Copps said. “The word ‘eat’ is legally permissible only in reference to substances appropriate for human consumption. Any implication that a consumer could or should ‘enjoy’ a KFC Crispy Strip fails to meet these standards, and presents an unlawful deception to consumers.”
And the factual, via Slate:
Back in 1971—at the height of Nader-ite consumer activism—the advertising industry realized it needed to provide some form of assurance that ads were truthful and accurate. Thus was born the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
Some interesting regulations:
* Any “up to” claim must apply to at least 10 percent of your inventory. (It’s not valid if you sell a single product at half off—and the other 800 products at full price.)
* To call your product “new and improved,” you must show a substantial and measurable improvement, and you can only make the claim for a six-month period. (Any longer than that and the improvement’s not new anymore.)
* To claim that a product is “on sale,” you have to demonstrate that for at least half the year, you offered the product at a nonsale price. And this nonsale price must be in itself a reasonable and good faith amount. (You can’t first pretend to charge a ridiculous price and then reduce it to a normal level and call it a “sale.”)
These types of marketing regulations are starting to be enforced in the world of social media marketing, too. What are some restrictions you think need to be in place for social media marketing specifically?
