Advertising Policy

Accepted Maritime Advertisers

HeyMariner accepts advertising from legitimate, verifiable businesses and organizations operating within or serving the global maritime industry. We review all advertising applications before acceptance and reserve the right to decline any advertiser at our sole discretion. The following categories of advertisers are generally accepted, subject to compliance with this policy:

• Shipowners, ship managers, and vessel operators with vessels registered under recognized flag state administrations
• Port authorities, terminal operators, and marine facility providers
• Classification societies, P&I clubs, and marine insurance underwriters
• Maritime law firms, crewing agencies, and manning companies
• Suppliers of marine equipment, machinery, navigation systems, and safety equipment
• Maritime training institutions, MET colleges, and STCW-approved certification centers
• Ship brokers, cargo brokers, and freight forwarders
• Marine fuel suppliers, lubricant manufacturers, and bunker traders
• Maritime technology providers, fleet management software companies, and vessel performance analytics firms
• Maritime recruitment platforms and seafarer employment services with verifiable operational legitimacy

Acceptance as an advertiser does not constitute HeyMariner's endorsement of any advertiser's products, services, or business practices. All advertising is clearly identified as such and is separate from HeyMariner's editorial content.

Prohibited Advertising Content

HeyMariner will not accept advertising from entities or for content that falls into any of the following prohibited categories. These prohibitions exist to protect the safety of seafarers, the integrity of the maritime industry, and the trust of our users:

• Scam ships and fraudulent vessel operators: We will not accept advertising from vessels or operators that have been identified by port state control authorities, flag state administrations, ITF inspectors, or credible industry watchdogs as engaging in fraudulent activity, including wage theft, contract fraud, document falsification, or operating vessels under flags of convenience in a manner designed to evade legitimate oversight.
• Unsafe operators: Shipping companies, managers, or crewing agents with documented records of serious safety violations — including vessels subject to detention orders for structural deficiencies, equipment failures, or crew welfare violations — are not eligible to advertise on HeyMariner until the underlying safety issues have been demonstrably resolved.
• Fraudulent certifications and document services: We strictly prohibit advertising from services that offer, sell, or facilitate the acquisition of fraudulent STCW certificates, flag state endorsements, seafarer identity documents, or any other maritime certification or official document. This includes diploma mills offering unaccredited "maritime courses" whose certificates are not recognized by any legitimate flag state or competent authority.
• Sub-standard manning agents: Crewing agencies that have been blacklisted by the ITF or have documented histories of charging illegal recruitment fees to seafarers in violation of MLC 2006 Standard A1.4.
• Sanctioned entities: Companies, vessels, or individuals subject to international sanctions administered by the UN Security Council, OFAC, the EU, or other recognized sanctions regimes.
• Misleading environmental claims: Advertising that makes false or unsubstantiated claims regarding a vessel's or company's compliance with MARPOL regulations, emissions standards, or environmental certifications.
• Illegal charter and voyage offers: Advertising for voyages or charter arrangements that violate cabotage laws, flag state trading restrictions, or international maritime security regulations.

HeyMariner reserves the right to remove any advertising at any time if we become aware that the advertiser falls within a prohibited category, even if the advertiser was previously approved. Advertisers found to have misrepresented their eligibility will be permanently banned from the platform and may be reported to relevant authorities.

Native Advertising Disclosure

Native advertising — paid content designed to resemble editorial content in format and style — is permitted on HeyMariner subject to strict disclosure requirements. In compliance with applicable consumer protection laws and the editorial standards of HeyMariner, all native advertising must be labeled clearly and prominently so that a reasonable reader can immediately identify it as paid content.

Native advertising articles and features on HeyMariner will carry a "Sponsored" or "Paid Partnership" label displayed at the top of the content, before the headline. The label will be rendered in a visually distinct style (contrasting color, standard font) that makes it unambiguous. The identity of the sponsoring company will be disclosed adjacent to the label. Labels such as "Partner Content," "Advertiser Feature," or "Promoted" may also be used where these are equally clear.

Native advertising content must not make false factual claims, must comply with all applicable advertising regulations, and must not use formatting or language designed to deceive readers into believing the content reflects HeyMariner's independent editorial judgment. HeyMariner reserves the right to edit native advertising copy for accuracy, clarity, and compliance with this policy before publication.

Display Advertising Standards

Display advertising on HeyMariner — including banner advertisements, sidebar placements, and interstitial units — must comply with the following standards:

• All display advertisements must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content. Ad units are bordered, labeled "Advertisement" or "Ad," and visually separated from surrounding editorial material.
• Advertisements must not use deceptive design elements including fake close buttons, auto-playing audio, or animation designed to mimic system alerts or notifications.
• Advertisements must not expand beyond their designated placement without explicit user interaction.
• Advertisements must not track users or collect personal data beyond what is disclosed in HeyMariner's Privacy Policy and permitted by applicable data protection law.
• Creative assets must meet our technical specifications for file size, format, and resolution. Oversized or poorly optimized assets that degrade page performance will be rejected or removed.
• Advertisements must not contain malware, malicious scripts, or any code designed to compromise user devices or data.

Sponsored Content Labeling

All sponsored content on HeyMariner — regardless of format — must be labeled in accordance with this policy. Sponsored content includes any content where a third party has paid for, or provided valuable consideration in exchange for, publication or promotion on the HeyMariner platform. This includes sponsored articles, sponsored newsletters, sponsored podcast segments, sponsored social media posts made through HeyMariner channels, and sponsored research reports.

The required disclosure label and its placement are as follows:

• Articles and long-form content: "Sponsored by [Company Name]" displayed above the headline and repeated in the article footer.
• Newsletter content: "Sponsored" or "Brought to you by [Company Name]" displayed at the beginning of the sponsored section.
• Social media posts: "#ad" or "#sponsored" included in the post, per applicable platform guidelines and advertising standards authority requirements.
• Research reports and white papers: "This report was produced in partnership with [Company Name] and funded by [Company Name]. The findings and analysis are those of HeyMariner's editorial team and do not necessarily represent the views of [Company Name]."

Sponsors do not have approval rights over editorial conclusions, but may review sponsored content for factual accuracy prior to publication. If a sponsor's factual corrections are accepted, this will be noted in the content. Sponsors may not require the removal of information that is accurate and relevant to the audience.

Advertiser Conduct

Advertisers on HeyMariner agree to conduct their advertising activities in good faith and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including consumer protection laws, anti-spam regulations, and data protection requirements. Advertisers may not:

• Submit advertising copy that contains false, misleading, or unverifiable claims about their products, services, safety records, or regulatory compliance.
• Impersonate HeyMariner, its editorial team, or any other advertiser or maritime organization.
• Use advertising placements to redirect users to phishing sites, fake job boards, or fraudulent certification services.
• Attempt to circumvent HeyMariner's ad review process by submitting compliant creative assets and then substituting non-compliant content after approval.
• Make claims of endorsement by HeyMariner in external marketing materials. HeyMariner's acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of any advertiser.

Violations of advertiser conduct requirements will result in immediate removal of advertising, termination of the advertiser relationship, forfeiture of any prepaid advertising fees, and, where appropriate, reporting to relevant regulatory or industry bodies.

Contact for Advertising

For advertising inquiries, media kit requests, sponsored content proposals, or to discuss custom partnership opportunities with the maritime audience of HeyMariner, please contact our commercial team:

To report an advertisement you believe violates this policy, please email editorial@heymariner.com with the subject line "Ad Policy Complaint" and include the URL of the page where the advertisement appeared, a description of the advertisement, and the reason you believe it violates this policy.