National Advertising Division Recommends Datarails Disclose Material Connection to The Finance Weekly Website for Endorsement, Rankings, and Reviews
16 Agosto 2024 - 8:00AM
In a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge, BBB National Programs’ National
Advertising Division recommended that Datarails, Inc. clearly and
conspicuously disclose its material connection to The Finance
Weekly website where endorsement, rankings, and reviews appear.
Cube Planning, Inc., a competitor in the
Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) software solutions
market, challenged Datarails advertising on The Finance Weekly
website.
Fast-Track SWIFT is an expedited process
designed for single-issue advertising cases brought to the National
Advertising Division (NAD). At issue for NAD was whether the
affiliation between The Finance Weekly and Datarails is adequately
disclosed.
NAD determined that there was a material
connection between Datarails and The Finance Weekly website and
that connection was not clearly and conspicuously disclosed. NAD
noted that Datarails advertises throughout the website (and appears
to be the only advertiser on the website), however, portions of the
website that rank services do not disclose this material
connection.
To ensure that Datarails advertising does not
mislead consumers, NAD recommended that Datarails clearly and
conspicuously disclose its material connection to The Finance
Weekly website where endorsement, rankings, and reviews appear.
Datarails denied knowledge of the rating and
ranking criteria of The Finance Weekly. NAD noted that in using an
expert endorsement, Datarails, like any advertiser, has an
obligation to ensure the endorsement is truthful.
Therefore, NAD recommended that Datarails
discontinue using expert endorsements that do not:
- Have the correct experience to review the service;
- Review the product using that expertise to examine competing
products or services; and
- Conclude the product or services are superior to other products
or services with respect to the features reviewed.
In its advertiser statement, Datarails stated
that it “intends to comply” with NAD’s recommendations.
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Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit
organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry
self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally
recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust
in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide
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bbbprograms.org.
About the National Advertising
Division: The National Advertising Division of BBB
National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute
resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across
the U.S. The National Advertising Division reviews national
advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards
for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful
protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for
business.
Name: Jennie Rosenberg
Email: jrosenberg@bbbnp.org
Job Title: Media Relations