Gibson Quoted in Washington Post Story Titled "What We Can Learn About Pharmaceutical Advertising From Kim Kardashian"

Whitney Gibson, leader of the Vorys internet and brand protection group, was quoted in a Washington Post story about celebrity social media endorsements.  The story, which was titled “What We Can Learn About Pharmaceutical Advertising From Kim Kardashian,” focused on the guidance that the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration have given regarding paid advertisements.

The story states:

“The agencies that oversee the promotional claims companies make about their products -- the Federal Trade Commission for products broadly and the FDA for drugs -- have begun to develop guidance on how companies can use social media channels to connect with consumers without breaking the rules.

‘What’s so interesting about social media is because of the casual nature of it, the FTC has really stepped in to say: would a reasonable consumer know that a person is being paid here?’ said Whitney Gibson, a partner at the law firm Vorys. Gibson said that at his firm, the business of advising companies on how people can responsibly endorse their products on social media has exploded.

‘I think a lot of people are out there violating that rule, to be honest,’ Gibson said. ‘The fact is, it’s advertising.’

The first thing most people wonder when they see a weirdly promotional Facebook post or tweet is whether it's an ad. Social media makes it more complicated to figure that out. People are generally free to say what they want about the products they use, good or bad.”

To read the entire story, visit the Washington Post website.