Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson, you can:
- Use every step in CLAIMS.
- Check both direct and suggested messages.
- Notice common warning signs in marketing.
- Write a careful evidence verdict.
One repeatable check
CLAIMS turns a strong message into six questions. Keep the exact wording and complete the steps in order.
- C — Capture the exact claim, nearby images, captions, personal stories, and limits.
- L — Locate the original source instead of relying on a summary or screenshot.
- A — Assign the exact product or status group.
- I — Identify the evidence type.
- M — Match the study details to the claim.
- S — State the important unknowns.
Check the whole message
A message can make a direct claim with words. It can also suggest a claim through images, charts, names, and personal stories.
A small disclaimer does not erase a stronger promise made by the rest of the page. The Federal Trade Commission tells marketers to support both direct and suggested health claims with suitable evidence.
Match your words to the evidence
Use stronger words only when the evidence is strong. “Establishes” is stronger than “supports.” “Does not establish” is different from “proves false.”
For example: “The animal study supports more research, but it does not establish a safe or useful recovery benefit in people.” This states both the finding and its limit.
Warning signs tell you to look closer
Look closer at guaranteed results, “works for everyone,” dramatic changes, hidden payments, false urgency, and safety claims with no limits.
A warning sign tells you to check the evidence. It does not prove that the claim is false.
Keep these
Lesson takeaways
- Save the whole message before you judge it.
- A disclaimer does not automatically cancel a suggested claim.
- Write what the evidence supports and what it does not support.
Workbook action
Put the lesson to work.
Review all six CLAIMS checks for one public claim. Then write one careful sentence about what the evidence does and does not support.
Knowledge check
Check what you can explain.
Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 correct to complete this module. You can retake the check after any result.
Primary references