Deception – that is one accusation for which marketers are being blamed. Well, there is a good reason for it. Consider the ‘not so few’ number of people who end up being deceived by marketers who are only out to milk them of their money. It’s only understandable that there would be a high number of consumer complaints. After all, advertisers who utilize misleading marketing methods and promotions seldom aim to deliver what they promise.
Now, as marketers and business people, we must be aware of misleading marketing techniques that have never worked well for others. Perhaps, by knowing what these methods are, we can avoid them and dedicate ourselves to create a more truth-based marketing plan. There is a YouTube video that has documented such methods. This is a subject we owe it to ourselves to learn more about.
- Our product will help you lose weight fast – This is the biggest lie that one can hear in any marketing campaign. Burning fat takes time, like months or years, to lose weight the right way.
- Our beauty product will turn back time – All these make-up commercials featuring flawless, aged women ? More likely than not, they are using Photoshop.
- Our food is all natural – Another misleading claim – Note that the moment a product is processed and packaged, it loses much of its natural qualities.
- Our product will enhance your manhood – Seriously ? Taking supplements or anything like that will not really enlarge anything except their bank account. That would require surgery and the like.
- Our product looks as good as the ads – As a rule, anything you see in commercials is not an accurate depiction.
- Our system will make you rich quick – Seriously, a lot of people fall for it, especially now when times are difficult. One has to understand that making lots of money will require a lot of work.
- Our miracle bracelet will heal you – Bracelets, crucifixes, and any kind of jewelry that are purported to improve your health, especially those unsupported by evidence that they work, are very suspect.
- Our cars perform well on the road – Do you remember commercials of auto manufacturers that claim more gas mileage for every gallon of fuel ? As it turns out, they usually fall way off the mark.
- Our food tastes as great as it looks – Have you ever purchased frozen instant dinners with their mouth-watering graphics on the packaging and see that the actual product is not that impressive ? That is a common misleading marketing method that is really egregious.
- Our website will help you find love – Since when did that happen ? Considering that some dating sites are guilty of creating false profiles to attract people, it does raise a point of concern.
Yes, these are misleading marketing methods that we should never use to promote our businesses. It will only bite back in the end.