Social Media: An Advertising Minefield?

Copyright 2011, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Originally published in Blakes Bulletin on Intellectual Property – Social Media Series, January 2011

Social media sites such as FACEBOOK and TWITTER are all about individuals connecting with other individuals. That does not intuitively sound like advertising. However, social media are used extensively for promotional purposes in a variety, and ever evolving number, of ways and advertisers cannot ignore the social media phenomenon.

Social media are used to provide customer service, updates, announcements (by social media releases, the equivalent of a press release), promotions, sweepstakes, contests and product development. On one level, social media advertising is the same as conventional advertising. Where it differs is that social media allow organizations an increased ability to target recipients with advertising based on the recipients expressed interests.