Ad Usage and Disclosure Policy
Version 1.0 · Effective November 10, 2026
1. Core rules
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Every asset discloses the paid relationship between the expert and the brand, clearly and conspicuously: difficult to miss and easy to understand, in the same format and language as the claim, and on the same screen or in the same audio as the expert (16 CFR 255.5 and 255.0(f)).
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The expert is connected only to the Approved Claims or General Content in their Licence Schedule. No other claim may appear in a way that suggests the expert supports it.
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Credentials are shown exactly in the format approved in the Licence Schedule.
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Every asset and every variant is approved by the expert on the platform before it goes live. Silence is not approval.
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Every asset carries the expert code in its name and is recorded in the platform registry before launch.
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Platform ad policies (for example Meta, Google, TikTok health and branded content rules) also apply; where they are stricter, they prevail.
2. Standard disclosure wording
| Situation | Required wording (or equivalent approved by Legal) |
|---|---|
| Any asset with the expert's name or likeness | “Paid partner of [Brand]” or “[Name] is paid by [Brand] for this endorsement.” |
| Review or fact-check credit line | “Reviewed by [Name, credentials], a paid advisor to [Brand].” Never “independently reviewed” or “verified by an independent expert”. |
| AI avatar | “AI-generated likeness of [Name], used with permission. Paid partner of [Brand].” |
| Personal use statement (only if the expert ticked personal use) | Allowed only in the expert's approved wording, together with the paid partner disclosure. |
| Results or testimonials next to the expert | Generally expected results disclosed where required (16 CFR 255.2). |
Not acceptable on their own: “#sp”, “#collab”, “#ambassador”, “thanks [Brand]”, a disclosure only in a link, only after “see more”, only at the end of a video, or only in a profile bio.
3. Placement by asset type
| Asset type | Where the disclosure goes | Extra rules |
|---|---|---|
| Static image ad | On the image itself, near the expert's name or photo, legible on mobile; repeat in the primary text. | Use the platform's branded content or paid partnership tool where available. |
| Video ad (any length) | On screen when the expert first appears, for long enough to read, and spoken by the expert or voiceover at the start. | Keep visible while the expert speaks claims; repeat in long videos. |
| Advertorial | “Advertisement” label at the top of the page; disclosure next to the expert's name or quote, and in the byline or review credit. | Must not look like independent editorial content (FTC Enforcement Policy on Deceptively Formatted Advertisements). |
| Funnel and landing pages | Next to the expert's name, photo or quote, above the fold where the expert appears. | No expert content in a pop-up or quiz result without the disclosure beside it. |
| Organic social post | At the start of the caption, before “more”, and the platform paid partnership label. | Brand reposts of expert content carry the same disclosure. |
| In the same block as the expert's name or quote, not only in the footer. | Subject lines may not use the expert's name without approval. | |
| Packaging (only if licensed) | On the panel bearing the expert's name. | Requires express licence and Legal review. |
4. Credentials format
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Name, degree and field, for example “Jane Doe, MD, Board-Certified OB/GYN”.
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“Dr.” is used only for MD and DO physicians, or with the degree stated (for example “Dr. Jane Doe, PhD in Nutrition”), so the type of doctorate is clear.
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Physicians in training are shown as such, for example “John Doe, DO, Resident Physician, Internal Medicine”.
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“Board-certified”, “specialist”, institution names and titles appear only if verified and approved in the Licence Schedule.
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No “doctor recommended”, “recommended by doctors” or “clinically approved” unless it describes exactly what the experts approved.
5. Asset naming and registry
Asset name format: [BRAND]_[PRODUCT]_[EXPERTCODE]_[CHANNEL]_[ASSETID]_v[VERSION]
Registry fields for each asset: asset ID and version, expert code, Licence Schedule number, claims used, rights used, channel, placements, live date, end date, approval timestamp, file hash, takedown confirmation.
Every new variant (new hook, crop, length, language or copy) gets a new version number and needs its own approval.
6. Takedown periods
| Event | Paid media | Owned channels (site, funnels, advertorials, e-mail templates) | Organic social and third-party copies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence expiry | Stopped by the end date | Removed by the end date | Deleted or archived by the end date; reasonable efforts on third-party copies within 14 days |
| Withdrawal without cause (30 days) | Stopped by the effective date | Removed by the effective date | As above |
| Withdrawal for cause (48 hours) | Paused within 24 hours of notice | Removed within 48 hours | Deleted or archived within 48 hours; reasonable efforts on third-party copies within 14 days |
7. Compliance checks
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Before launch: Legal or a trained marketer checks each asset against this policy; the expert approves on the platform.
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Monthly: the brand spot-checks live assets with the expert code for disclosure, credentials and claims, and records the check in the registry.
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Breaches: the asset is paused immediately, corrected, and re-approved. Repeated breaches allow the expert to withdraw for cause.