Testimonials and case studies: honest claims, typical results and permission
For marketers, content writers and anyone who approves customer quotes, reviews and case studies for websites, ads, sales decks or social media. Complete 'Case-study interviews with consent' first: it covers choosing a customer, consent forms and interviewing. This course treats the finished testimonial as an advertising claim: when a quote counts as an endorsement, keeping it genuine, undistorted and current, disclosing generally expected results when a result isn't typical, disclosing material connections, and holding the evidence and permission before you publish. Jurisdictions: US federal (FTC Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR Part 255) and UK (CAP Code, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority). This is not legal advice and doesn't grant any professional qualification; your claims approver or legal team decides borderline cases.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 98 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Identify when a quote, review, logo or case study is an endorsement and what the advertiser becomes responsible for
- Check that a testimonial is genuine, undistorted and still current before it is reused
- Rewrite a results testimonial so it discloses the generally expected results when the result isn't typical
- Identify material connections that must be disclosed and write a clear disclosure
- Hold the evidence and permission a testimonial needs and publish reviews without distorting what customers think
Course outline
- 1.Identifying when a quote or case study is an endorsementLesson · 15 min
- 2.Checking that a testimonial is genuine, undistorted and currentLesson · 16 min
- 3.Rewriting a results testimonial to disclose generally expected resultsLesson · 18 min
- 4.Identifying and disclosing material connectionsLesson · 15 min
- 5.Holding evidence and permission, and publishing reviews fairlyLesson · 14 min
- 6.Testimonials and case studies: honest claims, typical results and permission: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 7.Testimonials and case studies: honest claims, typical results and permission: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- 16 CFR 255.0 Purpose and definitions (FTC Endorsement Guides), via Cornell LII
- 16 CFR 255.1 General considerations (FTC Endorsement Guides), via Cornell LII
- 16 CFR 255.2 Consumer endorsements (FTC Endorsement Guides), via Cornell LII
- 16 CFR 255.5 Disclosure of material connections (FTC Endorsement Guides), via Cornell LII
- US FTC: FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking
- ASA/CAP: The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising (CAP Code), Section 3: Misleading advertising (rules 3.44 to 3.53)
- ASA/CAP AdviceOnline: Testimonials and endorsements
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