Affiliate Brand Guidelines
- 1. Purpose and brand alignment
- - As affiliates, please ensure to represent the brand accurately, consistently, and legally.
- - For consistency, use the approved brand assets, tone, and facts provided in the affiliate portal. Do not invent features, benefits, or policies.
- 2. Tone and communication
- - Clarity and honesty: Communicate benefits plainly without hype.
- - Balanced language: You may share experiences, but avoid absolutes.
- - Respect and inclusivity: No offensive, discriminatory, or fear‑based messaging.
- 3. Claims and accuracy policy
- - Truthful, verifiable claims only: Share statements that can be substantiated by the brand’s official materials, certifications, or published data.
- - No medical, legal, or financial promises: Do not imply diagnosis, cure, prevention, guaranteed results, or personalized outcomes.
- - Typicality: If using testimonials or personal results, make clear they are individual experiences; do not imply they are typical unless supported.
- - No false urgency or scarcity: Use promotions and timelines only as provided by the brand.
- - Up‑to‑date information: Prices, availability, shipping, and policies must match the live site at time of posting.
- 4. Visual identity basics
- - Use approved logos, colors, and imagery from the partner assets. Do not alter, distort, or recreate logos.
- - Keep visuals clear and legible; avoid imitating official brand sites in a way that could confuse customers.
- - Include “Affiliate” or “Partner” badges where provided.
- 5. Disclosures and compliance
- - Mandatory disclosure: Clearly disclose affiliate relationships in every post, page, and video where affiliate links appear.
- - Social: Include #ad or #affiliate near the beginning of the caption.
- - Blogs/pages: Place a clear disclosure before the first affiliate link.
- - Video/audio: Verbal disclosure at the start (where possible) and written disclosure in the description and on‑screen early.
- - Local laws: Follow applicable advertising, consumer protection, and platform rules (e.g., FTC/ASA/CMA). When in doubt, disclose more clearly.
- - Privacy: Follow brand and legal requirements for cookies, tracking, and personal data. Link to privacy policies if required by your region.
- 6. Content standards
- - Original and helpful: Provide genuine insights or experiences; avoid duplicate or scraped content.
- - Accuracy check: Verify product names, specs, prices, and offer terms against the official site before publishing.
- - Accessibility: Use alt text for images, readable contrast, and captions/subtitles where possible.
- 7. Linking and tracking
- - Use your assigned affiliate links exactly as provided; do not remove or alter required parameters.
- - Shorteners are allowed only if they preserve tracking parameters.
- - Do not cloak links to conceal affiliate status from users.
- 8. Promotions and offers
- - Only promote active offers supplied by the brand. Include terms, eligibility, and end dates when provided.
- - No stacking or unauthorized promo codes.
- - Remove or update expired offers promptly.
- 9. Paid media and traffic quality
- - Do not bid on the brand’s trademarked terms unless expressly permitted.
- - No misleading ads, forced clicks, incentivized clicks, or cookie stuffing.
- - No spam: Avoid unsolicited emails, SMS, or irrelevant forum posting.
- 10. Reviews and comparisons
- - Be fair and transparent: Identify sponsored/affiliate relationships clearly.
- - Comparisons must be factual, current, and sourced; no disparagement or unverifiable superiority claims.
- - If you receive products or compensation, disclose it.
- 11. Brand safety
- - Content must be suitable for a general audience. No illegal content, hate speech, adult content, or unsafe/violent themes.
- - Do not associate the brand with political or sensitive social issues without prior approval.
- 12. Governance and enforcement
- - Monitoring: The brand may review affiliate content for accuracy and compliance.
- - Corrections: You agree to update or remove non‑compliant content within a reasonable timeframe once notified.
- - Violations: May result in commission reversals, suspension, or termination from the program.
- 13. Support and updates
- - Asset hub: Use the official portal for logos, product info, and current offers.
- - Questions: Contact the affiliate support channel for clarifications on claims or policies.
- - Updates: Guidelines may change; affiliates should review updates and adjust content accordingly.
14. Quick checklist for every post
- - Clear affiliate disclosure is present and prominent.
- - Claims are accurate, current, and sourced from official materials.
- - No absolutes or guarantees; no medical/financial promises.
- - Prices/offers match the live site; expiration included if relevant.
- - Correct logos and assets; no misleading look‑alikes.
- - Links track correctly; no cloaking; parameters intact.
