McLean, VA – July 5, 2023 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) of BBB National Programs has referred direct selling company iCoinPro to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for possible enforcement action. The referral comes after iCoinPro failed to substantively respond to a DSSRC inquiry into aggressive earnings claims made on social media by iCoinPro salesforce members and on the iCoinPro public website.
DSSRC is an independent national advertising self-regulation program that monitors advertising and marketing claims in the direct selling industry. iCoinPro is a multi-level direct selling company that markets education, information, and training for cryptocurrency services.
At issue are social media earnings claims as well as testimonial claims on the iCoinPro website indicating that iCoinPro salesforce members can earn significant income and achieve financial freedom by participating in the iCoinPro business opportunity. Claims included:
- “With the launch of our new and improved iCoinPro 2020 system you can potentially make money with bitcoin and crypto currencies literally anywhere – on the Beach, at the Pool, or at Home on your computer, any where you choose! The world is your oyster…” Video with copy stating “People are making a FORTUNE with cryptocurrency all over the world”
- “Being debt free and living comfortably without the worry of financial obligations is all we’ve wanted and to live it now is a blessing!”
- “Create time and financial freedom”
- “Are you needing more financial freedom? Have you ever heard of Better Crypto/iCoinPro? I have a great opportunity for you right now! Many have been doing very well in this space and are planning on building a big team in this.”
- “If you’re interested in the future of money or want to be able to get some extra income or replace your own and live free from a day job take a look at this educational program.”
- “I worked a 9 to 5 job for 20 plus years! Did I find it rewarding? NO…I share my journey to show others that there’s opportunity beyond 9 to 5 job, opportunity to gain extra funds if that’s what you need, opportunity to be your own BOSS!!”
- “Earn 4k a month without enrolling a single person”
- “Financial Freedom is knocking. And it’s name is THE MICRO PROFIT SYSTEM.”
- “This program has helped me make profits daily whether the market is up or down. You can also earn residual commission income.”
- This is a perfect opportunity for you to invite your friends, family and anyone else that wants to see how we are teaching people the skills they can use to make a full time income from the comfort of their own home.
DSSRC expressed its concern that such earnings claims convey the message that the typical salesforce member can generally expect to earn significant, if not life-changing, income. After the inquiry was opened, DSSRC continued to identify additional claims proliferating on social media and the iCoinPro website stating that potential salesforce members can earn significant income from participating in the iCoinPro business opportunity.
Despite multiple attempts by DSSRC to engage with iCoinPro, the Company failed to substantively respond to DSSRC’s inquiry and made no efforts to substantiate the claims or meaningfully participate in the self-regulatory process. Pursuant to DSSRC Policies and Procedures, iCoinPro has now been referred to the FTC and the Nevada Office of the Attorney General for possible enforcement action.
All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of DSSRC decisions, visit the DSSRC Cases and Closures webpage.
About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
About the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council: The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC), a division of BBB National Programs, provides independent, impartial monitoring, dispute resolution, and enforcement of false product claims and income representations made by direct selling companies and their salesforce members across digital platforms. The DSSRC seeks to establish high standards of integrity and business ethics for all direct selling companies in the marketplace.
Contact Information
Name: Jennie Rosenberg
Email: jrosenberg@bbbnp.org
Job Title: Media Relations
Molson Coors Appeals National Advertising Division Recommendation to Discontinue “Light Beer Shouldn’t Taste Like Water” Claim
New York, NY – February 23, 2023 – In a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge brought by Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs recommended that Molson Coors Beverage Company discontinue the claim that “light beer shouldn’t taste like water. It should taste like beer.”
Fast-Track SWIFT is an expedited challenge process designed for single-issue advertising cases brought to NAD. Anheuser-Busch challenged Molson Coors’s claim that “light beer shouldn’t taste like water. It should taste like beer” in advertising promoting Miller Lite.
In this challenge, NAD determined that, in context, “light beer shouldn’t taste like water. It should taste like beer” is not puffery or a mere opinion. Although no specific competing light beer is identified by name in the challenged videos, NAD determined that tasting “like water” is a measurable attribute. Reliable sensory testing could demonstrate whether consumers detect a watery taste or the complete absence of taste. Consumers may also reasonably expect that the statement is supported by such evidence.
Because Molson Coors did not submit evidence supporting the claim that any other light beers “taste like water,” NAD recommended that the claim be discontinued.
NAD noted that nothing in its decision precludes Molson Coors from making other truthful and not misleading claims relating to consumers’ taste preferences or other claims pertaining to the taste qualities of its beers or competing beers.
NAD determined that the Anheuser-Busch challenge was appropriate for Fast-Track SWIFT because it presented the single issue as to whether the challenged claim was misleading.
In its advertiser statement, Molson Coors stated that it “disagrees with the decision and recommendation of the National Advertising Division and will appeal the decision to the National Advertising Review Board” based on its belief that “the ads do not expressly identify Michelob Ultra or any other light beers” and it should not be precluded from publicly sharing its “opinion” that light beer should not taste like water.
Appeals of NAD decisions are made to BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate-level truth-in-advertising body of BBB National Programs.
All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive.
About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.
Contact Information
Name: Abby Hills
Email: press@bbbnp.org
Job Title: Director of Communications
iCrowdNewswire introduces display, search, in-feed, native, and contextual press release targeting leveraging Taboola and Yahoo! partnership (Test Post on Live Nexis Newsroom)
Miami, December 6th, 2022 – iCrowdNewswire – expands resources and teams to launch add product targeting issuers using wires that do not offer ad technologies
iCrowdNewswire adds to its Google advertising press release distribution technology by leveraging the recently announced partnership between Taboola and Yahoo! to reach nearly 900 Million monthly active users. In the joint announcement, Yahoo and Taboola expected that this open web partnership will generate up to $1 billion in annual revenues. (Read the release here…).
For the past 2 years, through the power of Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, iCrowdNewswire has been offering 3 different types of ad campaigns which are “display”, “in-feed”, and “search” ads to its customers. But now, by integrating Taboola into the offering, iCrowdNewswire will also offer “contextual” and “native” ads. By doing so, iCrowdNewswire will become the only service provider that can effectively offer and deliver all 5 types of ad campaigns to boost distribution and provide unmatched targeting and reporting.
Competitors have already realized the “targeted ads” value proposition, through tools like Nativo, they have moved towards offering native ads in their most basic and primitive form that does not allow press release issuers to select the sites of their choosing, defining the geographic, and the sociodemographic for a much stronger and focused impact.
iCrowdNewswire has refined all these items and has created an easy-to-use interface that will allow customers to select native and contextual ones while having the unique ability to select sites and define the geographic and demographics. This is why it is the market leader as it has years of experience and the software, processes, and experienced teams needed to scale these options.
With the power of Taboola, iCrowdNewswire will push to the front of the line and will showcase its ability to deliver a complete yet simple solution that can boost the visibility of press releases and also deliver enhanced analytics around the views and traffic for press releases issuers through the Master Distribution Reports. The newest iCrowdNewswire product is a “boost” only package designed for press release issuers using wires that cannot deliver these options.
With this joint venture, the stage is set for the re-invention of traditional press release distribution moving much more toward marketing, advertising, and measurable distribution than elementary media outreach. “It seems the newswire industry has failed to recognize the transformation of media and the need to reach targeted audiences directly” commented Hector Botero, President of iCrowdNewswire. Botero went on to say “Solely relying on media pick-up in an age of media disruption is a huge mistake, our industry needs to make a major move and adopt powerful technologies that deliver audiences directly”.
“The premium price press release segment will never be the same,” said Sonia LaFountain, COO of iCrowdNewswire. LaFountain. “Press release issuers will come to demand what Google, Yahoo! and Taboola can deliver”.
About iCrowdNewswire
The most innovative press release newswire in the industry, since its inception in 2015 iCrowdNewswire has introduced more innovations than the entire industry combined, commencing with the Google-designed advertising targeting distribution which offers issuers unparalleled website guaranteed distribution with millions of sites worldwide. Following the deployment of the AdSense-driven distribution, iCrowdNewswire went further not only offering websites but offering special sections within websites, and all of this is measured with Google analytics. With the Yahoo! and Taboola deployment iCrowdNewswire will now focus on its “add on” product targeting issuers that distribute releases on newswires that do not offer any of the 5 different ad technologies (display, in-feed, search, contextual and native) to its customers.
Continuously upgrading press release distribution processes through the implementation of the latest digital technologies while taking customers’ return on investments to new heights.
Contact Information
Name: Omer Farooq
Email: omar@icrowdnewswire.com
Job Title: SQA-Analyst