Misleading marketing material can cost jobs and money

[Chantel-D]

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Hi everyone,
I find it interesting that an insurance company, Standard Life, was fined (by FSA) over 2 million pounds for marketing “misleading” material in their ads.:scared

Apparently the FDA ruled that the company didn’t ensure proper system and control over one of their pension funds which caused money losses for some of the customers.

I also think it fantastic that we have institutions that watch our backs, it is just unfortunate that some people lost some of their pension money in the process.

Margaret Cole from the FSA told The Telegraph: “Throughout 2010 and beyond, the FSA will continue to take strong action when a firm's financial promotions fall short of the requirement to be 'clear, fair and not misleading' and customers have not been treated fairly.”

Nearing the end of last year, there were talks of tougher rules over internet advertising (including social media sites) Companies have ads or promotional material on the internet that will never be allowed on traditional mediums like TV, Radio or print.

How many times have consumers not been mislead of products?
What happened to marketing items that work, truthfully?:sneaky

Working in the industry myself, I hope that advertising rules don’t become so tight that it shoots non-abusers in the foot. It will mean tragic for people in marketing jobs based around online.

Have you noticed any ads or marketing on the net, especially social media which you think are ludicrous?

[Erulastiel]

I havent really seen many, but to be honest i really get sick of seeing these ads all over the place. they get really annoying. :td

[Chantel-D]

But you see that is exactly the thing. Spamming must be against advertising laws. Also, I've seen plenty of web ads that visually show how you can loose weight with their advice etc but it is misleading...
Also ads that claim to take your wrinkles away are so misleading but those are mostly on TV...I don't know if I can trust ads that claim wonderful things anymore...how about you?

[Erulastiel]

Nope, but thats maunly coz Ive tried most of the stuff the tv advertises. Best way to lose weight is a balanced diet and excercise. O like some do have abt 6 to 7 small meals a day, and still get excercise. lol wrinkles are a part of getting old. they cant be ironed away or creamed away with all these miracle creams or chemical peels etc etc, lol its a natural part of life we have to go thru. so wot if i have wrinkles on the corners of my eyes..... i laugh a lot. why get rid of em when theyre gna jueep comming back

I have a logo of sorts i live by. if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isnt true.

[Chantel-D]

True...I must say I trust cleaning products because I'm sure filth you vibe off can't just jump back (apart from carpet staines)...
But Mascarra ads crack me up. Do you want super long lashes...? Get the new blah blah blah. How on earth can your own lashes become longer than they physically are? It is a hair that can be maight perfectly straight and appear longer but you can't lenghten them as they claim it does.

I like you attitude towards ageing and weight. I'm with you on the weight but the ageing really gets to me. I am three years older than my partner and it sucks looking old. Getting older I don't have a problem with but I don't want to look 32 when I am 28 and that is why I want to buy products that actually work. And I think that is how plenty of other women out there feel. You don't want to look 25 when you are 50. You just want to look damn good at 50 so if you see people like Sharon Stone rocking it at 50 and she is the face of a skin care product - people want to believe that is why she looks so great...But it could be 10 million other things why she looks like she does and she probably doesn't even use the creams...who knows.

I just have a problem with false advertising that dissapoint people, make them loose tons of money. However, happiness or inner beauty can never be bought, that is true.

[Erulastiel]

Most of the photos and ads are airbrushed in apps like photoshop. Ive done it before. Im a hobby artist, so I always give the models in my work flawless skin. wrinkles be gone with a swish a pen mouse . But to be honest? all theyd have to do is look at photos of Miss Stone when she wakes up in the morning with absolutely NO makeup. I think youd not recognise her. There are all sorts of products you can use from creams to herbal remedies, I even know how to make some of the creams and lotions and hair rinses and stuff that people make with herbs,but in the long run it all boils down to eating and excercise. If you eat healthy food, get all the nutrients you need and use sunscreens when you go into the sun ( i simply avoid going out on hot days, ) Drink loads of water. Stuff like that, and you shouldnt have to worry abt all those other products that promise a facelift after 30 days.

[Mogga]

Airbrushed and enhanced photos should be banned when advertising products that make claims.

That Barry Scott penny ad ended up having to have the time elapsed added - and loads of the mascara ads use fakes and photoshop. Utterly insane that we allow marketing to be dishonest so blatantly.

[Chantel-D]

I agree Mogga!!! Airbrushed photos is more than just misleading marketing, it can damage children's perspective about what is normal and what is not. There was a big thing a while back where a model was so badly airbrushed that she looked ill. I forget what brand it was again, but still some kids idolise models and fashion brands. Why do they need to airbrush at all? Don't you think it is a snowball effect? The first mascara brand for example advertises lashes that are just a tad longer than they will actually be...so the competition needs to raise the bar...etc etc... The same with facial creams and insurance schemes...in order to stand out from the competition "lies" are advertised to such an extend they become ludicrous but people will actually belief it because a) we want to believe it and b) it looks so real.
And the more mediums we have to advertise on, the less authorities can control what is ADVERTISED as truth...no wonder people loose their live savings on scams...we have created a society that can't distinguish between right and wrong, real and fake, possible or impossible!!!!

[Erulastiel]

There i agree with you. Airbrushing and the like should be reserved for us artists. merely for artistic use. altho a lot of photographers and such consider airbrushing as an artform as well. This is all well and good and perfectly understandable, but when it comes to taking advantage of a person that desperately wants to change there look to "fit in", thats when i draw the line and dont consider it art at all. The technique used is more or less like this, they use blending tools to smooth the skin out, completely removing any and ALL blemishes, marks, pimples, the works.

Then they use an airbrush to give the skin a completely different tone, it is manipulated to suit the product being sold. And because i know how to do it, i can see when they have actually done it. In live adverts as well, the use of lighting is a magic trick in itself. Stand in front of a mirror, and switch your room light on and off. Look at the differences to your face, and it differs more in a room thats partially well lit at night. all they need is the right lighting and the right "amount" of makeup and anything is possible.

People see this and feel Insecure. so many young girls want to be as skinny as kate moss. even Lindsay lohan and posh spice are now being idolised, I mean its rediculous. Why look and act like someone else and cause so much arm to your body, when you can be healthy and be yourself and be more unique, rather than a carbon cut out of another person.

The whole fashion and beauty scene is ruled by one thing........ the ability to make a young impressionable person feel insecure enough to be drawn into the whole "let us help you look better" story. and i think its wrong.

[scriptmonkey]

"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it." -- Stephen Butler Leacock

"Advertising reaches out to touch the fantasy part of people's lives. and you know, most people's fantasies are pretty sad." -- Frederik Pohl

"Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest way of selling goods, especially if the goods are worthless." -- Sinclair Lewis

"Advertising copy. Where sentences are replaced by participle phrases. Noun phrases. And dangling conjunctions. Bleah." -- K<bob>

[Chantel-D]

How true! Loving the quotes scriptmonkey! I agree erulastiel "Why look and act like someone else and cause so much arm to your body, when you can be healthy and be yourself and be more unique, rather than a cardboard cut out of another person"

[Erulastiel]

Definately. lol great quotes script monkey. I work with my daughters daily. My eldest is like me. doesnt really matter wot shes wearing or eating as long as she enjoys it and is comfortable. My youngest , however is a bit of a diva. always shows off an outfit before she walks out the door, even if its only to play outside. I think she will be most affected by these ad campaigns. and i have to teach her to avoid them completely.

I think parents need to teach their kids that its not wot you look like thats important, if youre healthy, and you take care of yourself with excercise and wot not, youll be fine. there are so many things kids need to learn about life, things they have to learn above and beyond school, they need to be focussed on growing up and being kids. not looking like the latest supermodels.

[Chantel-D]

Exactly! I think if you chat to them about what they see, it will be fine. I read in a magazine the other day about soap operas and the damage that can do to your kids. And they said, firstly you shouldn't allow your kids to watch soap operas OR you should watch it with them and everytime someone does something bad like stealing, lying or is constantly bed-hopping, you should afterwards have a discussion with your kids asking what they think about that character's behaviour and then educate them on the right way...
I think the same can be done with ads like these...instead of assuming your kids know real from fake, rather ask and then know for sure.

[Erulastiel]

EXACTLY!!!!!!! the bold and the beautiful for one. I mean HOW many times can you marry on person, get divorced and marry another person, just to get divorced nad marry the guy you left behind before marrying again..... losh even THAT confused me. My girls dont watch it as a rule. we may watch ONE SA soapie..... but thats it. and i always make remarks if something goes pear shaped. and its rediculous to see HOW many women are addicted to these things.

[SusanDavies]

W have all seen those ads on TV that make unbelievable promises, such as double your income with this risk free business opportunity and you will become highted by using our products and medicines. .may be it will persuade ppl to purchase these products and the company will get benefit in the short run but it will knock down your business in the long run. I just have a problem with false advertising that dissapoints people, make them loose tons of money.

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