Consumers Expect to Get Maximum 'Up To' Results

WASHINGTONWhen marketers use the phrase "up to" in claims about their products, many consumers believe they will achieve the maximum "up to" results, according to a recent FTC-commissioned study.

FTC said it believes the report will help guide advertisers to avoid the use of misleading "up to" claims. FTC's view is that advertisers using these claims should be able to substantiate that consumers are likely to achieve the maximum results promised under normal circumstances.

In the study, a test group of consumers thought about ads for replacement home windows that purportedly would provide "up to 47%" savings in energy costs. This test was conducted in conjunction with investigations of five companies that, in February, settled FTC charges that they made unsupported claims about their windows' energy efficiency and how much they would reduce consumers' heating and cooling bills.

This study could have implications to dietary supplement companies that use "up to" claims, and as FTC noted, if companies choose to use phrase in marketing, they should be able to show consumers are likely to reach that result.

Learn more on FTC expectation of supplement marketers in the INSIDER article "Endorsements and Testimonials: What Companies Need to Know."