Will U.S. companies substantiate advertising claims directly to consumers?

Substantiation of advertising claims has been a source of concern for consumerists, government and business for over a decade. The research reported in this article uses earlier studies as a benchmark for determining whether advertisers are any more willing to provide proof of advertising claims directly to consumers than they were in the 1970s. Seventy‐one per cent of advertisers contacted responded to consumer requests for proof of claims made in television and magazine advertisements. However, only 21 per cent of the original requests resulted in successful substantiation. This finding parallels results obtained by Coney and Patti (1979) 4 with the chief difference being fewer unsuccessful attempts at substantiation and more responses that made no attempt at substantiation. Implications for consumer education, public policy and marketing practice are discussed.