NAD hands down Facebook ruling
November 15th, 2011
The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus recently weighed in on how B2B marketers use Facebook for promotional campaigns to consumers, BtoB Online reports.
NAD's ruling was based on the practice of "like-gating," a function they claimed was used by contact lens and eyeglass company Coastal Contacts in a recent promotion.
According to a release, NAD offered claims that customers could earn 70 percent off of their purchase or even receive a pair of free glasses if they "liked" the company's Facebook page. However, it was determined that Coastal chose not to disclose certain limitations in the offers – such as the limited number of glasses available, required shipping charges or other conditions.
After a thorough review of the case, NAD determined that it's still okay for marketers to coax customers into a "liking" a company by offering discounts or free merchandise as long as they fully disclose any conditions that accompany the offers.
A recent social media focused study by Accenture found that B2B marketers are becoming more involved in social media, eMarketer reports. When asked to gauge their engagement in a May 2011 poll, approximately two-thirds stated they are "heavily engaged" in leveraging platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.


