DISCLOSURES 101 FOR INFLUENCERS - FTC GUIDANCE

Be sure to abide by all laws and regulations by the FTC. Influencers must disclose their partnership with The Coldest Water.  All statements you make regarding Coldest Water products should be truthful and from your own personal experience.

How To Disclose: 

• Place it so it’s hard to miss
• The disclosure should be placed with the endorsement message itself.
• Disclosures are likely to be missed if they appear only on an ABOUT ME or profile page, at the end of posts or videos, or anywhere that requires a person to click MORE.
•  Don’t mix your disclosure into a group of hashtags or links
• If your endorsement is in a picture on a platform like Snapchat
  and Instagram Stories, superimpose the disclosure over the
  picture and make sure viewers have enough time to notice and
  read it.
• If making an endorsement in a video, the disclosure should be
  in the video and not just in the description uploaded with the
  video. Viewers are more likely to notice disclosures made in
  both audio and video. Some viewers may watch without sound
  and others may not notice superimposed words
• If making an endorsement in a live stream, the disclosure
  should be repeated periodically so viewers who only see part
  of the stream will get the disclosure.
• Use simple and clear language.
  » Simple explanations like “Thanks to The Coldest Water brand for the free
  product.”
• So are terms like “advertisement,” “ad,” and “sponsored.” 
• On a space-limited platform like Twitter, the terms
  “TheColdestWater Partner” or “Coldest Ambassador” (where Acme is the
  brand name) are also options.
•  It’s fine (but not necessary) to include a hashtag with
  the disclosure, such as #ad or #sponsored. 
• Don’t use vague or confusing terms like “sp,” “spon,” or
  “collab,” or stand-alone terms like “thanks” or “ambassador,”
  and stay away from other abbreviations and shorthand
  when possible.
• The disclosure should be in the same language as the
  endorsement itself.
• Don’t assume that a platform’s disclosure tool is good enough,
  but consider using it in addition to your own, good disclosure.
• You can’t talk about your experience with a product you
  haven’t tried.
• If you’re paid to talk about a product and thought it was terrible,
  you can’t say it’s terrific
• You can’t make up claims about a product that would require
  proof the advertiser doesn’t have – such as scientific proof that
  a product can treat a health condition.

Please refer to the latest updates: 

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers