Recently in the UK there has been a bit of an uproar about Colgate and its infamous ads. I’m sure most of you can picture just about any tooth-related adverts - they always happen to show models with the pearliest whites and toothpaste that looks so good that you just want to eat it (although flouride is bad for you - so don’t do it!)
Colgate’s long-standing claim that more than 80 per cent of dentists recommend its toothpaste is “misleading” and must never be used again, the advertising watchdog has ruled.
The claim was sparked by competing toothpaste companies which claimed that the same percentage of dentists interviewed recommended their differentiated product - thus bringing up the notion that Colgate had lied.
It IS understandable why companies do these things though. All of them have financial and social goals which they have to meet. Brand loyalty and convincing the customer to purchase their products instead of from their competitors is fundamental in ensuring repeat success. Sales must be maximised and profit margins must be reached to ensure good economic growth for the company.
But should these aims entail the use of lying to attract customers?
It’s a question of morality and ethics. If you want your business to be based on lies and deceit for the quick buck then it’s up to you, but as we’ve found out here, there will always be negative consequences - once the word gets out, the media can ruin your business and your livelihood.
A fantabulous example is that of Jade Goody who went into the Celebrity Big Brother house for the 2nd time. The first time she managed to cause a rift and escaped with huge criticism - her PR people did wonders to turn that around. This time, she hasn’t been so lucky. Accusations of racism and bullying have turned Britain against her and we’re embarrassed to associate ourselves with the self-proclaimed star.
Back to the matter in hand - public image is everything. Ask Jade whether she would have wanted to look like a villain when she left the house, a swift answer of “no” would have been heard. The same applies to Colgate - a poor public image caused my deceitful marketing tactics is likely to have negative consequences and its the image of a treacherous company which will stay with people the longest.
One last example. When was the last time you went into McDonalds and ordered a Big Mac which didn’t look half as good as the juicy one you saw in the advert?
Food for thought…(no pun intended).
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6 responses so far ↓
1 Aaron // Jan 22, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Adnan,
I think that false or malitious advertising is always a temptation because it presents the opportunity of immediate gratification or return on investment.
However for those looking to create a sustainable and recognized brand we have to avoid these tactics at all cost in order to save our good name from being associated with such dirt.
Being persuasive and Lying are two different things don’t confuse them.
2 adnan // Jan 22, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Hi Aaron.
With the Colgate example they actually were lying about “80% of dentists recommend it”.
With the picture of the pearly white teeth however, whilst I didn’t say that they were lying about the effects of using the toothpaste, maybe I should have made it clearer that I thought Colgate were being overly-persuasive to a point where their pictures may not actually be acurate and scientifically proven.
I completely agree with you that “false advertising” is a temptation, but do you not think that Burger King’s picture of the perfect quarter pounder is “malitious advertising” because what you actually get DOES differ to the advert?
You’re right, being persuasive is different to lying, but in the cases above, I think the companies show falsities in their arguments and adverts rather than being legitimately enticing.
3 Darrin // Jan 25, 2007 at 10:24 pm
In the past 3 years there was a movement on Ethics in the organization. Then there was a movement on Ethics in the classroom. This was all due to fiascos like Enron, Marha Stewart and other companies that toyed & played with ethics. So I don’t think that it’s fair to for companies to “say” one thing and do another. Companies should be able to “man up” and admit their faults quickly, share them, and engage on an improvement plan. Companies are to quick to provide “cover-ups,” out of fear from losing share & to please someone higher then them.
4 Adventures In Money Making // May 17, 2007 at 10:47 pm
might be an issue in the UK, but here in the US its par for the course.
i expect all advertisers to LIE about their products.
the FTC just banned some ads which said that drinking milk promotes weight loss. (the ban go NO media coverage except a small blurb running across CNN).
5 Lottie // Dec 4, 2007 at 5:28 pm
I thought this was a great blog entry! Its amazing how many companies stretch the truth a little for their own ends. It does them no good in todays market where consumers are more alert to such scandels and have a voice to tell others about it, like you did in this blog! Consumers are so powerful and have a really strong influence over other cosumers due to social networking and blogging. What companies need to do is therefore be honest, have integrity and offer the best, so people will start blogging about great services and products rather than shoddy ones!
6 zowoco // May 21, 2008 at 9:34 pm
this particular toothpaste brand seems to be advertised more heavily in the UK than any other, and interestingly, I visit many friends and family in their homes, and the most popular brand is this one! Almost every bathroom I visit contains it!
I have never bought this brand as my opinion is, if you need to market a product that heavily then it obviously isn’t getting word-of-mouth recommendations and should be avoided.
I buy Tesco own brand, just as good, tastier, and I don’t have to shell out my good money to pay for the toothpaste company TV advertising costs!
I would have thought the toothpaste most advocated by dentists would be Sensodyne: another overpriced brand. Tesco brand sets me back 33p for a small tube, or 34p for twice as large a tube. It does me ok! I hate heavy handed marketing and grossly overpriced products!
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