What does the ordinary reader standard help determine in advertising?

The ordinary reader standard is a legal benchmark used primarily to assess how a typical consumer would perceive an advertisement. This standard is critical in determining the potential for misinterpretation of the ad’s claims or messages. The focus is on the average consumer's understanding, which helps identify if the advertisement is likely to mislead or deceive. By applying the ordinary reader standard, advertisers can better evaluate the clarity of their communication and the likelihood that consumers will interpret the ad in a way that is consistent with its intended message.

This standard plays an essential role in ensuring that advertisements do not mislead the public, protecting both consumers and businesses from misrepresentation and ensuring ethical advertising practices. Recognizing this helps advertisers avoid claims that could be seen as deceptive or ambiguous to a typical reader.

Other considerations like legal compliance, reader reactions, and target audience effectiveness are important within the context of advertising, but they do not directly address the crux of how the ordinary reader standard specifically relates to potential misinterpretation of advertising messages by the general public.