Celebrity Tweets could spell trouble for marketers' FTC compliance, says expert

The Federal Trade Commission's revised guides on testimonials and endorsements are getting the attention of marketers, as evidenced by the letter Interactive Advertising Bureau president and CEO Randall Rothenberg sent to the agency earlier this month. Rothenberg called for the new guidelines, which seek to curb undisclosed paid testimonials or paid-for blog posts, to be rescinded.

Research firm MarketingSherpa has published its own list of ways that marketers can comply with the guides. In one, Bill McClellan, VP of government affairs at the Electronic Retailing Association, cites celebrity endorsements as the area “where people might get into trouble.”

“I see people on Twitter talking about a product, and you know from other reading that they have relationships with that product's manufacturer,” he says.