Boon-Time for Marketing Gurus: Business Owners Are Planning Marketing Blitzes After SEC Action on Unregistered Shares

Today's WSJ Small Business column does a good follow-up re yesterday's post re SEC embracing the JOBS Act..

As a result, some entrepreneurs with businesses ranging from ride-sharing apps to portable farms (to hedge funds!) say they're planning marketing blitzes that they hope will help them reach the right target audiences of potential investors. Under consideration: putting investment offers on billboards and even printing them on T-shirts.

"Whoever has the slickest ads will make the most money here," says Heath Abshure, president of the North American Securities Administrators Association.

Enough said. Until of course, there is a proliferation of frauds and scams--situations that the SEC has little ability to prevent before it happens; best evidenced by the Madoff scandal.

Hedge Fund Advertising Strategies Uplifted by SEC

We told you so..(8 months ago!)..
In connection with last year's passing of the JOBS Act, today the SEC is expected to officially approve a new rule that would ease 80 years of advertising restrictions on ways that hedge funds and other companies seeking to raise money through private offerings.
 


The rule would ease 80 years of advertising restrictions that help ensure small investors aren’t lured into taking inappropriate risks. Under the new rule, startups and other small companies would also be able to use advertising to raise unlimited amounts of money.

“It changes the whole paradigm of who you can talk to,” said Brian J. Lane, a former division director at the SEC and now a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Washington. “Hedge funds will benefit because they have the most restrictions on their ability to communicate more broadly about different funds coming to market.”

The rule affects how companies raise money through private offerings, which are exempt from requirements to publicly report financial statements. Private offers are restricted to wealthy investors, who are considered better positioned to understand the risks of investing with less information.

For the full story from Bloomberg LP, please click here