3 Things you should know about liability as a marketing employee

The marketing team is an extremely important facet of every organization. However, some marketers often find themselves entangled in litigation battles because they took some misguided steps. Anything from false advertising to customer intimidation could get your company slapped with a lawsuit. Numerous marketing companies have bitten the dust, all because they failed to anticipate the telltale signs that soon escalated and landed them in court.

Liability comes in many shapes and forms. Product liability cases often crop up when a particular product is alleged to be defective. You could also get seriously injured during the course of work. When this happens, it’s important to get a qualified personal injury lawyer to represent you fairly in court.

Here are 3 things you should know about liability as a marketing employee:

 

• Data misrepresentation could trigger liability cases

 

We all make mistakes. After all, we’re merely imperfect human beings. Marketing employees often have to bear the brunt of most mistakes made during the data collection phase. Sometimes, these employees falsify test/survey data in an attempt to stifle some negative information or simply to gain a competitive edge. This misrepresentation of data occasionally leads to serious mistakes that necessitate immediate action. For instance, if your company sells slimming products that guarantee to shed off 40 pounds of fat within three months, the marketing team could tweak the test data to represent exactly what consumers want. They could also offer hefty discounts to customers who credit their products in weight-loss testimonials.

When push comes to shove, it’s always important to have an experienced attorney by your side. Contact them promptly when a product liability case looms large. In addition, ensure that your business is covered by a comprehensive liability insurance cover.

 

• Avoid slander and defamation cases

 

Sometimes, marketing employees make harmless jabs at their competitors – it’s a totally acceptable tradition. However, speaking ill about your rival and making false statements that might harm their credibility is entirely wrong. Slander is a serious crime that involves making erroneous statements that directly threaten to damage an entity’s reputation. This includes defaming a rival business by tainting its name and rubbishing its progress. When a defamation suit progresses to court, the plaintiff is required to prove that extensive harm was done by your verbal/written comments. Your company might end up paying out a huge settlement for an “innocent remark” you made concerning another firm. Therefore, steer clear of libel or slander to avoid nasty liability cases.

 

• Infringing and violating copyrights will cost you

 

Marketing teams are often encouraged to unleash their creativity and win customers over. However, when an employee deliberately or unwittingly uses another person’s original image/idea to market a certain product, that’s considered copyright infringement. Violating copyrights makes you liable in court and it could have grave legal repercussions. Whatever media you utilize to sell products, whether songs or images, should have appropriate licenses to justify your use. It’s important to respond promptly to claims of copyright infringement raised by musicians, photographers and other creatives. This will help you avoid unnecessary litigation battles in court.

These three facts should offer you more insight into liability as a marketing employee.