In some industries, marketing is like the wild, wild west. You’ve probably seen some crazy antics in car commercials and clothing ads that you had no idea were clothing ads. Some fields, however, have to deal with a thing called compliance. Simply put, this is a list of items that your company can and cannot say if you want to stay in business. To a marketer, compliance may feel like an excuse to stunt your creativity, but the rules and regulations are essential to not only the consumer, but also for protecting the organization. When medical and financial institutions make claims or statements and they’re not true, it can lead to disaster. Here’s how marketers can keep up with compliance while helping their clients thrive.
Have the Talk with Your Client
Your client may not know everything they’re forbidden from saying, but they’ll have a general idea. Chances are, your client has been “dinged” by compliance before. If not, they have more than likely made a serious effort not to by learning all the rules. Ask your client about what they already know and for any supporting documentation you can reference when creating your campaigns. The more knowledge you have upfront, the fewer times you’ll be sending your content back for revisions.
See What the Competition is Doing
One way to see how you can be creative while staying within compliance standards is taking a look at the competition’s marketing. Keep in mind during your search that your clients’ competitors may sometimes slip up when trying to work around compliance. Therefore, you can’t use them as a point-by-point guide. However, it’s very likely that you’ll find some creative ideas for how to avoid using noncompliant phrases or imagery.
Make it Human
We may sound like broken records when we talk about how important it is to humanize your brand, but it’s true. People will engage more with a company if they see how people like them fit into the mix. Content that focuses on team culture rather than what they do also runs less of a risk of getting flagged for compliance issues. Another way to provide a human element is by shining a light on what the company does for the community. As long as the community partners are on board, this can also be a great way to connect with those organizations.
Proofread Specifically for Compliance Standards
When you’re dealing with compliance, getting dinged after something has already been made public can lead to serious consequences. Proofreading is always important when you’re working for a client, but anything being submitted for compliance may need a few more rounds of editing.
Start by having your team go over the content with a fine-tooth comb. Then, send it to the compliance team. Whether that’s an internal team of people who are well-versed in compliance or a third party, this step can’t be skipped. Anything marked noncompliant then needs to be addressed.
Struggling to keep your marketing compliant, on brand, and engaging to your customers all at the same time with your content creation in Orlando and beyond? We can help with that. Give us a call at 407-830-4550 or fill out our online form.
