Comments on: FTC Cracking Down on Testimonials http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2007/07/09/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/ Fascinating, Inspiring, Rewarding and Engaging kinded spirits. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:16:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Christy http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2007/07/09/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-88508 Christy Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:22:54 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-88508 I'm not worried at all. Heck, most of our customer-created testimonials are so over-the-top ("You saved my home!! You're my angel!") that they're unbelievable anyway. We love it, because they're all true, and no matter how much a regulating agency digs, we have nothing to worry about. I’m not worried at all. Heck, most of our customer-created testimonials are so over-the-top (”You saved my home!! You’re my angel!”) that they’re unbelievable anyway. We love it, because they’re all true, and no matter how much a regulating agency digs, we have nothing to worry about.

]]> By: John Fabian http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2007/07/09/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87660 John Fabian Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:55:31 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87660 Over 20 years ago, when I worked at a large Mad Ave. agency, I was taught that testimonials had to meet the "law of typicality." Any testimonial beyond the mean (like saving $1,000 on car insurance when the average customer savings was $200) could not be used in advertising. Wonder what happened in the interim? Over 20 years ago, when I worked at a large Mad Ave. agency, I was taught that testimonials had to meet the “law of typicality.” Any testimonial beyond the mean (like saving $1,000 on car insurance when the average customer savings was $200) could not be used in advertising. Wonder what happened in the interim?

]]> By: Michael Morton http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2007/07/09/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87574 Michael Morton Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:41:19 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87574 Preach it brotha! Preach it brotha!

]]> By: David Binkowski http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2007/07/09/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87369 David Binkowski Tue, 10 Jul 2007 01:00:23 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87369 "...it stifles speech by requiring the advertiser to say something they wouldn’t ordinarily have to say." LMAO. That's HILARIOUS -- Quote of the year! “…it stifles speech by requiring the advertiser to say something they wouldn’t ordinarily have to say.”

LMAO. That’s HILARIOUS — Quote of the year!

]]> By: Ryan Karpeles http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2007/07/09/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87256 Ryan Karpeles Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:26:49 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/ftc-cracking-down-on-testimonials/#comment-87256 "Pretty soon all advertisers will have left is honesty. And I’m sure that’s the scariest proposition of all." Right on, Spike. It's getting harder and harder to get away with sugar-coating in today's marketplace. This is great for consumers, crappy for advertisers. With that in mind, the best thing you can do is make a product and/or service that has honesty and value baked right into it. Sooner or later, there will be no room left for exaggeration and falsification. What you see is what you get. So create the best thing people can see, and "typical" will suddenly become extraordinary. “Pretty soon all advertisers will have left is honesty. And I’m sure that’s the scariest proposition of all.”

Right on, Spike. It’s getting harder and harder to get away with sugar-coating in today’s marketplace. This is great for consumers, crappy for advertisers.

With that in mind, the best thing you can do is make a product and/or service that has honesty and value baked right into it. Sooner or later, there will be no room left for exaggeration and falsification. What you see is what you get. So create the best thing people can see, and “typical” will suddenly become extraordinary.

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