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| Sunday, 24 April 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Consumer ombudsman by the national consumer watch Truth in advertising-(1) Sri Lanka is an advertiser’s paradise, to judge from the plethora of hoardings, posters and the like that cram our fields of vision. But Sri Lankan public is for the most part na‹ve in its acceptance of the images, slogans and assertions of advertisers as being completely truthful. It is possible that we permit exaggerations or even untruths as part of selling hype and are not too bothered by them. However, it is very important that advertising be truthful and we the consumers have the responsibility to insist on truth in advertising. Creating the illusion of superiority of a product is perhaps the most critical factor that determines sales. Let us examine some of the ways that advertisers in our local scene create this necessary illusion, and create in consumers, the desire to purchase their products. 1) The Scientific or Statistical Claim Here, the advertisement uses what appears to be a scientific aspect such as actual measurements to justify the claim, and impress the consumer. Example A. An advertiser of Hair Products has a pretty young woman with cascading shiny hair smilingly proclaim that in EXACTLY 10 uses of the product, dandruff would be got rid of forever. Note that the ad asserts that “exactly 10 uses”, not an “average”, does the job, and assures a cure “forever”. This assertion is obviously a scientific untruth, and yet, how many consumers would stop to think this over before rushing out to buy the product, lured by a pretty model’s shining hair and a concocted statistic? Example B An advertiser for a Milk Food has a TV commercial in which, in a classroom scene, the children are shown a picture of a car and the teacher asks the class what the picture depicts. All of them in unison reply “Car”, except one child who says “Volkswagen Beetle”, displaying an obvious superiority in her skill at recognising the car’s make and model as well. All the kids and the teacher look at her with great admiration. Another similar episode follows in which this child’s mental superiority is displayed, after which the scene changes and the teacher is seen to hand the child at the end of the school day to her mother, with a question as to how it is that she is so bright. Pat comes the mother’s reply, that she owes it all to a particular brand of milk powder that she asserts is good for the development of the child’s brain. Imagery of the brand’s package, and a flashing developing brain, connects the product with the claimed effect; a clear scientific untruth. Think what effect this TV commercial has on sales of this product in our society where competition for excelling in school is high, and the desire of parents to provide the best in order for their child to excel is paramount. Many parents would believe the assertion of the ad, and being convinced of product superiority, would purchase it in their desire to provide the best for their children. Furthermore, many parents would think, even if not quite convinced about the statistics, that there may be some vague truth in the assertion, and be reluctant to deprive their child of some advantage in this competitive society. Example C In this age of body consciousness, many gadgets for reduction of waistlines or firming of abdominal flab in both sexes, especially women, or for the enhanced development of muscles in men are marketed accompanied by “Before” and “After” photographs of people who purportedly used the product. Actual measurements of waistlines are also quoted in order to make assertions of these ads sound scientifically proven. For example, the commercial claims: “Guaranteed to reduce your waistline by 4 inches in 10 weeks”; without any real supporting data. But mind manipulation is brought about by these commercials works finding focus in the imaginations of insecure people who long for slimmer, firmer bodies. These people would get compelling desires to go out and buy the equipment. 2) The Unfinished Claim This is an advertisement in which the product is claimed to be better, or has “more” of something than another product. However, the comparison remains unfinished. Example A A paint product is advertised as giving “MORE” colour, “MORE” shine, “MORE” gloss, etc., etc. “MORE” than what, is never specified. The consumer is however subtly persuaded that the product is better because is HAS MORE and DOES MORE without any substantiation. Example B An analgesic is advertised as having twice as much of the painkiller that doctors recommend most. Again MORE is suggested to the consumer as being BETTER, but with no substantiation. This is particularly dangerous when it applies to drugs. Example C In the United States some years ago, an advertisement for a late model Ford LTD stated that it was ‘700 per cent quieter’. When the Federal Trade Commission, which is the overseeing authority, asked Ford to substantiate this claim, the company explained that what they meant was that the ‘inside’ of the Ford was 700 per cent quieter than the ‘outside’! These examples show how advertisers use different sly and ingenious ways to suggest superiority of their products, and it is only by consumer education and an understanding of marketing practices that we can be protected from being lured into buying products we do not need, or those that do not accomplish what they claim to. National Consumer Watch of Sri Lanka encourages consumers to be more critical in the way they perceive advertisements, and to be constantly be aware of the advertiser’s single-minded purpose in an advertisement: to persuade us to buy the advertised product, whether we need it or not. Please send your comments and questions to The Consumer Ombudsman, C/o National Consumer Watch of Sri Lanka, 143A, Vajira Road, Colombo 5.
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