Deceptive Marketing Practices

What marketers need to know

The Competition Act is a federal law governing most business conduct in Canada. Most importantly for marketers, the Act prohibits misleading and deceptive advertising and marketing.

The Act applies to anyone inside or outside of Canada who is conducting business in Canada, and covers marketing activities such as:

• Promotional contests,
• Testimonials,
• Claims (performance, environmental, etc.),
• Influencer marketing,
• Online reviews,
• Drip pricing, and
• Deceptive telemarketing and more.

False advertising is just one of several types of deceptive marketing. For example, deceptive marketing would occur when a company uses misleading tactics to sell its product or service.

Members can access resources to stay informed and compliant.