Disclosures Exposed: Banner Ad Disclosure Adherence to FTC Guidance in the Top 100 U.S. Web Sites

<p>With banner ads accounting for one-fifth of the $16.4 billion spent on Internet advertising in 2006, this advertising format has become an integral marketing communications tool. Inclusion of required disclosure language and presenting those disclosures in a clear and conspicuous manner are important areas of regulatory interest and in recent years have extended to the online environment. This study examines the extent to which disclosures in banner ads in the top 100 U.S. Web sites adhere to Federal Trade Commission guidance in these two areas. Additionally, this study compares the banner ad results for clear and conspicuous presentation to those of a prior study that examined television advertising. All the banner ads in the study contained at least one disclosure; yet, adherence was mixed in terms of providing all the required information clearly and conspicuously. Implications of these results are discussed.</p>