Paid endorsements, sponsorships, partnerships clearly disclosed

The FTC requires disclosure of any 'material connection' — payment, free product, significant discounts, or employment — that could affect the credibility of an endorsement. A case study from a customer receiving a 50% discount presented without disclosure implies independent validation it does not carry. 'As featured in' sections that mix paid placements with earned editorial coverage mislead consumers into thinking independent press has evaluated the product. Material connection disclosures must appear where the consumer sees the endorsement — not in a general site footer or terms page.

Add material connection disclosures immediately adjacent to any compensated endorsement — not in a site-wide disclosure page.

function CaseStudyCard({ study }: { study: CaseStudy }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h3>{study.customerName}</h3>
      <p>{study.quote}</p>

      {/* Disclose the material connection inline */}
      {study.isReferenceCustomer && (
        <p className="text-xs text-gray-500 mt-2">
          {study.customerName} participates in our customer reference
          program and receives promotional pricing in exchange for
          sharing their experience.
        </p>
      )}
    </div>
  )
}

// Sponsored blog post — disclosure at the top, not the bottom
function BlogPostHeader({ post }: { post: Post }) {
  return (
    <header>
      {post.sponsored && (
        <div className="bg-amber-50 border border-amber-200 rounded p-3 mb-4">
          <p className="text-sm font-medium">
            Sponsored: written in partnership with {post.sponsor}.
          </p>
        </div>
      )}
      <h1>{post.title}</h1>
    </header>
  )
}

The FTC placement standard: the disclosure must appear where consumers will see it before they rely on the endorsement — top of the page or immediately adjacent to the content, not in the footer.