Deceptive Advertising Examples

This report will focus on deceptive advertising in the health sector (food, drinks, medications, etc.) via contemporary marketing practices. To begin deceptive advertising must be defined in order to have a full grasp of the concept. I will then go through examples of deceptive advertising. First, I will focus on deceptive advertising in traditional ways by presenting examples and then I will present the transition to contemporary marketing practices and how they differ.

What is deceptive marketing? The following definition of deceptive advertising is defined by David Gardner in the book Ethics and Social Concern. “If an advertisement or advertising campaign leaves the consumer with (an) impression(s) and/or belief(s) different from what

Here is a list of some words that companies are using on their labels that can be quite deceptive: fresh, all-natural, healthy, gluten free, organic, 100 calories, no trans fat, naturally sweetened, no sugar/reduced sugar, with vitamins and minerals, whole grains, etc. (Langford, 2014) These labels are consumed and typically not questioned any further by customers. Brands such as Kellogg, PopChips, PepsiCo, and Whole Foods Market are a few amongst many companies who have recently been through major lawsuits for false claims being made about their products. According to the journal article, Governance Studies at Brookings, Kellogg’s had been promoting their products “all natural” or “nothing artificial” for the Kashi brand, while the products were actually containing many synthetic and unhealthy ingredients. Therefore, leading to a very big lawsuit. (Negowetti pg. 13-15) There is a very blurry line for defining what an actual “natural” product is. In order to clear up the blurriness around the definition of “natural” the FDA has defined what it means; for consumers and companies to have a better understanding of the term “natural”. “The FDA has considered the term “natural” to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all colour additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that

This viral quality is appealing to those in the business world, while users spread the word for their sites. This is a great outlet for marketers to receive self- promotion in having their services and products advertised with ease. However, companies indulging in such marketing tactics should be aware of the legal issues in order to protect themselves from liability risks, such as trademark and copy issues. (Steinman and Hawkins, Pg. 2) “We are no longer in control of the media, the news, or the advertising, but our customers are.” (Safko and Brake, pg.671) This quote from The Social Media Bible demonstrates how powerful of a tool social media has become in the advertising world. Social media is the most innovative platform used by the marketing sector to date. With its savvy set of technologies and tools, that can be easily integrated into our existing marketing strategies. This is surely the most ground-breaking, effective tactic in connecting with potential customers and prospects. During advertising we are engaging in creating a relationship, building trust, and being accessible when the people in those relationships are ready to purchase the product we’re offering. This is an ingenious way to market themselves, their companies, their products, and their services. (Safko and Brake) It is then for the consumers