In marketing, lead generation (/ˈliːd/) is the process of creating consumer interest or inquiry into the products or services of a business.
Leads may come from various sources or activities, for example, digitally via the Internet, through personal referrals, through telephone calls either by the company or telemarketers, through advertisements, and events.
This helps the company determine whether a contact is valid for their pipeline and allows them to prioritize leads and allocate resources accordingly.
This manipulation impacts lead generation, steering consumers towards certain products not because of their merits but due to hidden financial incentives.
The guidance highlights how such practices may breach federal consumer protection laws, emphasizing the need for unbiased, transparent comparison tools in the financial sector and offering the concept of a federal comparison shopping site as an alternative.