Gartner Digital Markets Content Compliance: FAQs
Are Gartner experts and sales reps authorized to approve my external-use request?
No. Only a member of the Gartner Content Compliance team or its delegates may approve external use requests. Please email all questions pertaining to using Gartner Digital Markets content to: gdm.compliance@gartner.com, with the subject line “Content Compliance Request”. At this time, Gartner experts and sales reps are not delegates.
I have an urgent external-use request. Can you turn around my request in less than five business days?
As time permits, we honor these requests. We endeavor to approve all requests as quickly as possible, but we ask that you incorporate at least five business days in your planning.
Why can’t a Gartner Digital Markets site begin the title/subtitle of our press release, newsletter, social media post, or email subject line?
This rule is designed so that a press release, newsletter, social media post, or email is not mistaken as official communication from a Gartner Digital Markets site. For example, press releases beginning with “Gartner” (e.g., “Capterra Says” “Capterra Announces” “Software Advice Estimates” “GetApp Identifies”, etc.) are prohibited. Further, phrases like “Capterra Highlights” “Capterra Names” “Capterra Features” “Software Advice Showcases” or “According to GetApp” imply that our sites are providing an endorsement, which calls into question our independence and objectivity.
Gartner Digital Markets reserve the right to begin its own press releases, newsletters, social media posts, or email communications with this phrasing.
What types of sites are considered “competing third-party” websites?
A provider may wish to drive readers to their Reprint or landing page on a third-party website. A third-party website is one that is owned or operated by a company outside of the requesting provider and any Gartner Digital Markets site. Gartner Digital Markets does not allow its IP to be used in a manner that competes against Gartner or its affiliates on any site determined to be of competitor status to any Gartner property.
Not Acceptable:
See below for a non-exhaustive list of sites deemed competitive to Gartner Digital Markets:
G2Crowd
TrustRadius
TechnologyAdvice
SoftwareReviews.com
SoftwareSuggest
Software Shortlist
SourceForge
Business-Software.com
IT Central Station
FinancesOnline.com
Gartner Digital Markets reserves the right to determine competitor status, and strongly defends its intellectual property from improper use.
How may we request permission to promote Gartner Digital Markets IP on a third party site?
Requests to promote Gartner Digital Markets IP on a third-party site should be sent to gdm.compliance@gartner.com . Evaluating new third-party websites takes time, with multiple rounds of reviews required to fully consider a provider’s products and services mix and its competitiveness. Please plan accordingly.
How may we promote our inclusion in the Gartner Digital Markets program, and/or badge or other type of recognition?
We understand that it can be exciting to be included on a Gartner Digital Markets site, or recognized with a badge, but promotional materials must be neutral, and avoid the implication that inclusion is an award. Doing so could be seen as an endorsement, and would negatively impact Gartner Digital Markets’ vendor-neutral stance.
Best practices:
Avoid phrases such as “Capterra thinks we are great!” or implying that inclusion on a Gartner Digital Markets site, or a ranked listing (such as Capterra “Shortlist”), is an endorsement or an award given by Gartner Digital Markets.
Include proper attribution and disclaimers
Link back to Gartner Digital Markets landing pages
Acceptable:
Why is this OK?
Includes proper attribution. Note: The required disclaimer is not listed here but IS listed on the associated vendor’s landing page. This is in line with the guidance in the Gartner Digital Markets Content Compliance Policy. You may forgo the required disclaimer IF your promo links to something larger that already includes the disclaimer.
Includes an appropriate summary as a lead-in to the full report.
Does not imply that inclusion in the Capterra Shortlist listing is an endorsement
Acceptable:
Why is this OK?
It aligns with a simple listing of recognition by keeping each crowd-sourcing firms’ recognitions and brandings separate and distinct.
Proper disclaimers for the user-generated content are included at the bottom.
Attribution is given through the link back to the vendor’s landing page
May we mention Gartner Digital Markets sites alongside competitive sites or discuss/compare methodologies?
Promotion of Gartner Digital Market content alongside content produced by companies that compete with Gartner is allowed when such display i) does not indicate endorsement by Gartner Digital Markets, but simply informs site visitors of industry recognition, and ii) Gartner Digital Markets sites are clearly separated from content produced by Gartner competitors, and iii) and does not give the appearance of comparing methodologies.Below are examples of what is considered acceptable and not acceptable:
Acceptable (Digital Reference)
Why is this acceptable?
Gartner Digital Market content is clearly separated, both text and trademark
Proper attribution is given to Gartner Digital Markets
No endorsement by Gartner Digital Markets is implied in the display
Links back to the Gartner Digital Markets landing page
Acceptable (Booth Signage)
Why is this acceptable?
Gartner Digital Market content is clearly separated, both text and trademark
Proper attribution is given to Gartner Digital Markets
Most current Gartner Digital Markets logo is included
You may not display a Gartner Digital Markets logo bundled alongside competitors, in any way that implies endorsement by a Gartner site, makes claims or assumptions about a relationship between a Gartner site and a vendor, or does not include the proper attribution and disclaimers.
Not Acceptable:
Why is it Not Acceptable?
Gartner Digital Markets content is not clearly separated from competitor content
Outdated SoftwareAdvice logo is used
Outdated GetApp logo is used
Required disclaimers are missing
Proper attribution is missing
Links back to Gartner Digital Markets landing pages are missing
How may we promote badges received through Gartner Digital Markets?
Please refer to our General Logo and Trademark Use section of the GDM Content Compliance Policy for details on how to properly display badges received through Gartner Digital Markets programs.Please reference: Proper Use of Garter Digital Markets Logos and Badges for visual examples and details.
Why can’t Gartner Digital Markets’ logos and badges be prominently displayed in our promotional materials?
This rule is designed to balance a vendor’s branding relative to Gartner Digital Markets and avoid the appearance that the vendor has a special relationship, partnership, or association with a Gartner property. An “over emphasized” logo (see usage guidelines) may be perceived as an endorsement.
May we quote media or third-party sources when referencing Gartner Digital Markets?
Because media outlets are not required to secure our approval when quoting Gartner Digital Markets content (in fact, requiring review of our content goes against freedom of the press), there is a risk that a quote or content could be taken out of context, or otherwise used in an unintended manner. In addition, we cannot guarantee material found on third-party sites has been approved by us, and may be inaccurate or improperly attributed.
Why can’t we use quotes written by Gartner experts about our own company found on a Gartner Digital Markets site?
We acknowledge the company-, product-, or service-specific quote appears within the published content. However, when used within a vendor’s own marketing initiatives – and outside the context of the full, comprehensive report or article – the objective nature of our content is compromised. This type of use could be seen as an endorsement, and would negatively impact Gartner Digital Markets’ vendor-neutral stance.
Why can’t we use reviews, research, or quotes about our competitors found on a Gartner Digital Markets site?
Gartner Digital Markets protects its reputation as a neutral platform provider. One way we maintain this status is by not allowing a vendor to use content or quotes about a competitor as a “weapon”. We consistently and uniformly enforce this policy for the protection of all vendors on our platform.
May we correct obvious typos in reviews about our own company found on a Gartner Digital Markets site?
A quoted review must appear exactly as it appears on the Gartner Digital Markets site it is sourced from. Revisions or corrections are prohibited as there are strict limitations placed over editing user-generated content. However, if a suspected typo or misspelling is found, a vendor may email our team at gdm.compliance@capterra.com with a request. Only after the request is approved, and the updates are visible on the public site, may any edited content be used.
Why can’t we perform our own calculations using data found on a Gartner Digital Markets site?
We understand that vendors may wish to create their own data points from data found on the Gartner Digital Markets sites. However, doing so would compromise the validity of the calculations, and the methodologies used, by allowing vendors to create non-standard data points that could not be applied equally across all Gartner Digital Markets’ vendors. Because of this, all data points referenced from Gartner Digital Markets sites must match the Gartner Digital Markets source exactly.You may provide your own data points alongside Gartner Digital Markets’. To avoid giving the impression that these calculations originated from, or are endorsed by, Gartner Digital Markets, references must:
Include the following attribution: “Calculations performed by [company name].”
Be clearly separated, and not commingled, from the Gartner Digital Markets data
Not make use of Gartner Digital Markets data in any proprietary calculations
Why can’t we use the Gartner Logo when referring to Gartner Digital Markets? Isn’t it all “Gartner”?
Gartner Digital Markets’ sites (Capterra, GetApp, Software Advice) are stand-alone subsidiaries that, while a part of Gartner, retain distinct brand identities and operate under separate corporate policies. As such, there is a need to differentiate between our parent company, Gartner, and Gartner Digital Markets.
Why don’t we allow Gartner Digital Markets to be included in company boilerplate text?
Gartner Digital Markets protects its reputation as a neutral platform. One way we maintain this status is by not permitting vendors to reference Gartner Content and Gartner Digital Markets Content in a vendor’s corporate boilerplate. This type of use could be seen as an endorsement, and would negatively impact Gartner Digital Markets’ vendor-neutral stance.