Marketing compliance may sound like a boring and restrictive term, but it’s actually a powerful tool for enhancing your business creativity. Compliance is not just about following rules and regulations; it is also about finding innovative ways to communicate your value proposition, engage your audience, and differentiate yourself from competitors.
Here, we will share some of the benefits of marketing compliance for your business creativity and how you can leverage it to achieve your goals.
What is marketing compliance?
Marketing compliance is the process of ensuring that your marketing, advertising, and sales content abides by all the rules and regulations designed to safeguard consumers and their information. These rules and regulations can vary depending on your industry, geography, and target market. Some examples of marketing compliance laws are the BCAP and CAP rules in the UK, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines in the United States, and Deutscher Werberat guidelines in Germany.
Why is marketing compliance important?
Marketing compliance is important for several reasons:
First, it helps you avoid legal and financial risks that can result from violating these laws and regulations. According to a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) imposes fines ranging from $5,000 to $43,280 per violation of marketing regulations. In 2020 alone, the FTC reported over $345 million in fines for deceptive marketing practices. This does not only have financial losses but also damage to brand image and reputation, and loss of customer trust.
Second, it helps you build a positive brand image and establish trust with your customers, stakeholders, and the general public. Research by Nielsen found that 59% of consumers prefer to buy products from brands they trust. By demonstrating your commitment to compliance, you show that you care about your customers’ rights and needs, and that you operate ethically and responsibly, which is increasingly valued by consumers.
Third, it helps you increase your operational efficiency and reduce costs. According to the Global Regulatory Outlook 2020 report by Duff & Phelps, non-compliance costs businesses an average of 2.71% of their annual revenue. Streamlining marketing processes can significantly reduce this burden. For instance, a study by McKinsey & Company found that optimising marketing operations can result in cost savings of up to 30%. By streamlining your marketing processes and eliminating unnecessary or outdated content, you can save time and money, and focus on your core competencies.
In summary, marketing compliance is critical, not only for mitigating financial and legal risks, but also for fostering trust, enhancing brand reputation, and improving operational efficiency.Why mastering compliance can boost your business creativity.Marketing compliance can boost your business creativity in several ways:
Challenges you to think outside the box: Compliance forces you to rethink your marketing strategies and tactics, and to find new and better ways to reach and connect with your customers. For example, instead of relying on intrusive ads, you can create engaging and valuable content that educates, entertains, or inspires your customers. Instead of making false or exaggerated claims, you can provide honest and transparent information that showcases your unique selling points.
Encourages you to be more customer-centric: Compliance helps you understand your customers better and tailor your marketing to their preferences and expectations. By respecting marketing rules, you can build trust and loyalty with consumers. According to Salesforce, 84% of customers say being treated like a person, not a number, is very important to winning their business. By providing accurate and relevant information and creating personalised and engaging experiences, you can increase customer retention and satisfaction.
Enables you to stand out from the crowd: Compliance gives you a competitive edge and helps you differentiate yourself from your rivals. By complying with the latest laws and regulations, you can demonstrate that you are ahead of the curve and that you care about the issues that matter to your customers. According to a report by Edelman, 81% of consumers say that trusting a brand to do what is right is a deciding factor in their purchasing decisions. By creating innovative and original content, delivering consistent and high-quality content, you can establish your authority and credibility in your industry, and increase your brand awareness and recognition.
How can you leverage marketing compliance to achieve your goals?
Marketing compliance can be a powerful tool for enhancing your business creativity, but it requires lots of time, planning, and execution in pre-production planning, scripting, drafting, and final edits. Here are some tips on how to leverage marketing compliance to achieve your goals:Stay updated on the latest laws and regulations. Marketing compliance is not a one-time thing; it is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and updating. You should always stay informed of the latest changes and developments in the laws and regulations that affect your marketing activities, and adjust your strategies and tactics accordingly.
Conduct a marketing audit. A marketing audit is a comprehensive and systematic review of your current marketing activities, content, and performance. It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and areas for improvement. You should conduct a marketing audit regularly, at least once a year, to ensure that your marketing is compliant, effective, and aligned with your goals. You can use tools to help you with your marketing audit and compliance.
Implement a marketing compliance framework. A marketing compliance framework is a set of policies, procedures, and guidelines that govern your marketing activities and content. It helps you ensure that your marketing is consistent, compliant, and creative. You should implement a marketing compliance framework that suits your business size, industry, and objectives.
Nevertheless, we know that compliance can be tricky and a lengthy process. Being up to date with all rules and regulations and implementing rigorous systems to check all your ads can be difficult and may leave you with less time for your creative thinking. Fortunately, with adclear.ai you are to evaluate all your marketing materials in seconds which provides you with detailed feedback on whether all guidelines were followed or not. This allows you to accurately evaluate all your marketing materials at all stages.adclear.ai takes care of compliance so that you can focus on creativity. This way, marketing compliance is not only be a legal obligation; but also a strategic advantage.