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Although the FTC’s new advertising guidelines are
scheduled to go into effect tomorrow, there are still many gray
areas that have yet to be clarified. WebProNews caught up with
Wendy Piersall, Founder of the Woo! Jr....

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Although the FTC’s new advertising guidelines are
scheduled to go into effect tomorrow, there are still many gray
areas that have yet to be clarified. WebProNews caught up with
Wendy Piersall, Founder of the Woo! Jr. Network, and spoke with her
about many of the “It depends,”
scenarios regarding the new rules.

The Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials
in Advertising hope to regulate how advertisers utilize
endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, celebrities, and
bloggers. The FTC is calling for these parties to openly disclose
their relationships with the company or brand they are endorsing,
which is causing quite a rise from the blogosphere.

Piersall raised many points on both sides of the debate. On one
side, many people feel like they have to
“justify” what they are talking
about. For example, someone may provide a complimentary statement
toward a brand without realizing that it could be perceived as an
endorsement. Piersall said she has become very conscious of how she
injects brands into her work.

On the flip side, if someone is willing to associate his
personal brand with another brand, then he must also be willing to
face the consequences that could be affiliated with it. According
to Piersall, while brands should not expect bloggers to spread
their message for free, bloggers should also be open and disclose
their relationship.

Although the gray areas remain, Piersall hopes that people take
both the ethics and consequences into consideration moving
forward.

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