The right evidence depends on the claim a reasonable buyer could take from the material, and the support must match the claim's product, configuration, population, method, date, and stated level of proof.
Begin with the claim's required proof
A statement about a documented capability may be supported by current product documentation and a reproduced workflow. A performance number needs a method, environment, inputs, comparison baseline, repetitions, and result. An economic claim needs transparent assumptions and calculations. A customer claim needs approved source language and the permission to use it on the intended surface.
The FTC describes a reasonable basis as objective evidence supporting the claim and says an advertiser must at least possess the level of evidence it represents having. If copy says a benchmark, study, customer set, or percentage proves something, the underlying evidence must actually match that description. A refund promise or enthusiastic testimonial does not replace objective substantiation.
Match scope rather than stretching the source
Check the product edition, version, geography, customer type, workflow, data set, time period, and operating conditions in both the claim and source. Evidence from one configured pilot can support that observed result under the stated conditions. It does not automatically support every customer, workload, or future version. Narrow replacement language is often more useful than discarding a valid but limited finding.
Separate source types in the ledger. Internal product telemetry, controlled tests, approved customer evidence, public documentation, third-party research, and inference carry different limitations. Preserve raw calculations and source receipts, then write a short evidence note that explains the connection. Reviewers should be able to reproduce the reasoning without relying on the copywriter's memory.
Search for disconfirming evidence
Look for product limitations, failed runs, excluded cohorts, contrary customer reports, changed documentation, alternate baselines, and conditions where the result does not hold. Counterevidence may require a caveat, narrower population, different comparison, or unresolved status. Record it beside the supporting source so the publication review does not receive only the strongest favorable example.
Reality Contact, LLC performs this reconciliation within the agreed ordinary B2B product scope. The buyer supplies authorized data and permissions and decides whether specialized legal, scientific, security, financial, or regulatory review is required. When the evidence standard cannot be determined inside the scope, the claim remains unresolved and outside the approved publication set.
Where the service stops
Reality Contact, LLC performs factual source reconciliation and document preparation for ordinary B2B product marketing, but the buyer and its counsel own legal standards, regulated claims, customer permissions, publication, and final approval. The buyer reviews the evidence and corrected language with accountable product and legal owners, approves the claim book, and publishes only the version it has authorized. This is factual research and document preparation for ordinary B2B product material, and it does not replace legal, regulatory, scientific, financial, security, or professional advice. The buyer and its counsel control evidence standards, customer permissions, regulated treatment, approval, publication, and every external claim.
Sources: FTC guidance on objective evidence for advertising claims; FTC policy on truthful comparative advertising.