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Lies and truth in advertising

  • Ethan Level 1
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    Lies and truth in advertising

    What do you think about telling the truth in advertising? Of course, you want to put your product or service in the best light. But how far will you go to make the sale? Will you lie or exaggerate the truth? Is it ethical or illegal to do that?

    # Marketing & Monetization
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    forever love

    forever love

    If you are selling a service and promise way too much, more than you can deliver, you will suffer the consequences with an unhappy customer who does not want to pay or demands a refund.
    12 years ago

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    Multimastery

    Multimastery

    If you can not find enough genuine benefits in your product/service to persuade people to buy, then you need to get a new product/service. No need to lie.
    12 years ago

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    augusta

    augusta

    I know in business one should be a little persuasive to get customers to buy ones products but there should be a line between hyping the product and outrightly deceiving people.

    Some people takes the hyping to a whole new level and telling great lies in the process I believe being persuasive is just to hammer on the strength and the most value of the product not talking about qualities that the products have no fraction of.This is outrightly mean.
    8 years ago

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    shubham99

    shubham99

    Don't Promise Too Much, Be on to point
    if you try to show-off it basically looks fake.
    12 years ago

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    NaturalWriter

    NaturalWriter

    I think it really depends on the product you're selling. You are going to want to dazzle it up, lets be realistic here. Any WebMaster will tell you, you have to stand behind the product/service you're selling, regardless if you think it's crap. You have to know everything about it, or at least have the full resources behind you. If you're not going to sell yourself, then you're not going to sell your product.

    People (not all) will want to exaggerate their products and online services. Micro Job sites are very similar. Some people stand behind their word, and others do not. You want to be saying to the client "Pick me! Pick me!" Not "Stay away!" People will do almost anything to get a sale.

    Is it right? Wrong? What about the question... Where is your invisible line? How far are your moral standards for working online willing to go? Look at the Forum owner on DP... How far he went and how EBay stood behind him until they kicked him to the curb. Is what he did right? I don't think so, but there are many people who think it's a travesty...

    Where's you're cut off?
    12 years ago

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    Beverly

    Beverly

    If you're really good at what you're doing, then you won't have to scam people to make sales. That's especially true when offering freelance (gig) services online. Just point to your testimonials and positive reviews to back up what you're claiming.
    12 years ago

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    Asmodeus

    Asmodeus

    There's an element of sleaze in most advertising these days, whether you want to admit it or not. People discuss ethics and morality in advertising, yet we buy crap that is literally killing us everyday because we "trust" the advertiser not to harm us.

    We buy clothes from big "trustworthy" brands, only to find out later they were made in sweat shops by 8 year olds, and THEN we vocalize our moral indignation, yet we were perfectly willing to wear them in the first place because we got it for a cheap price. We get upset after the fact without realizing that kind of thing happens OFTEN. It's only when the retailer gets caught that the "secret" (which we all know, really) becomes exposed.

    And that's only ONE example...

    What is actually in those McDonald's fries that allows them to stay preserved so perfectly, even after MONTHS of sitting around on the sidewalk? Have you seen the recent video of the Walmart ice cream sandwiches that never melted, even after sitting in the sun, in 80 degree heat, for 75 minutes? Did you know that LEGALLY a food product can be sold as "fresh", even after being frozen up to THREE TIMES??

    And that's just some food examples...

    Did you know that are product can be labelled as "new" again, after a certain period of time, with only a slight change to the packaging? The product itself can be exactly the same as before. "Look, it's new and improved! We added a blue dot to the jar lid..."

    We trust brands that feed us their crap advertising on a daily basis because it's like brainwashing. Ads are created by marketing teams, and marketing (as anyone reading this should know), is all about manipulating data, stretching the "truth", and the psychology behind what makes people buy. Researched facts, such as people respond more to words that end in "ly", limited time offers, the color blue, cute babies, adorable kittens, etc.

    Truth in advertising? Dream on....
    12 years ago

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    NaturalWriter

    NaturalWriter


    We buy clothes from big "trustworthy" brands, only to find out later they were made in sweat shops by 8 year old's, and THEN we vocalize our moral indignation, yet we were perfectly willing to wear them in the first place because we got it for a cheap price. We get upset after the fact without realizing that kind of thing happens OFTEN. It's only when the retailer gets caught that the "secret" (which we all know, really) becomes exposed.


    This is an interesting debate right here, because we, of course, believe this is morally wrong due to our upbringing and culture. Would we be sending our children to work in factories or sweat shops? NO, of course not, because it's not in OUR culture. It's not in our beliefs.

    It IS apart of theirs, however. They have been doing this for decades and generations. To them it's not wrong because of their culture and what's been ingrained in them. It's just what you do those parts of the world. The below quote is something that is not in their culture, as they think North Americans are overweight and lazy (among other things that I'm not going to repeat). They laugh at us because of our culture and what we do with our lives.

    This is another subject altogether, but it kind of ties together... @Asmodeus ....
    Our troops go over to invade (both US/CAN) other countries because of something they believe isn't right in their culture (our to be more blunt-because the US wants their oil/or something else they want). Would you think it was ok for another country to invade us because of what they think is wrong in our culture? It's their country, their culture. Our troops go over only to get killed, or kill innocent families. The troops need to get out of there or at least get it set up that, every country should have a "Get out of jail" card, were the citizens at any time, can get out of there and flee the country and start a new life if they wanted.

    Who are we to judge other cultures? What we think is right, is another cultures wrong. I find it interesting how different morals and ethics can be within the variety of cultures there are out there. Not to mention individual beliefs and backgrounds. Overall, I'm not saying what I think they do is right here, but consider this... You are who you are because of your upbringing... Do you think you would be the same way IF you were raised in a different culture?
    Of course not.


    What is actually in those McDonald's fries that allows them to stay preserved so perfectly, even after MONTHS of sitting around on the sidewalk? Have you seen the recent video of the Walmart ice cream sandwiches that never melted, even after sitting in the sun, in 80 degree heat, for 75 minutes? Did you know that LEGALLY a food product can be sold as "fresh", even after being frozen up to THREE TIMES??


    I found the Super Size Me documentary so repulsive, I nearly threw up, sadly though I keep going there, and on occasion I eat their fries, and so do you, Asmo...lol



    Eeewwwweee, that is pretty gross. McDonald's is the devil... Even though both Asmodeus and I are guilty of eating their food. But I do have to give them credit for offering healthy alternatives, especially for kids. Colbie loves to eat their Happy Meals (Grilled Cheese, Apple Slices, Yogurt, and Milk - he does like their fries, but I only let him have them for a treat once in a while). I don't feel as though I have to avoid them because of their gross fat dripping, yummy food...lol

    We have never bought their ice cream sandwiches, and now... Probably never will. Why is it that we have to worry about these problems in the first place? This is what gets my blood boiling. Why was it OK to put all the preservatives and chemicals in the food in the first place?
    12 years ago

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    Asmodeus

    Asmodeus

    It IS apart of theirs, however. They have been doing this for decades and generations. To them it's not wrong because of their culture and what's been ingrained in them. It's just what you do those parts of the world.
    ....
    McDonald's is the devil...Even though both Asmodeus and I are guilty of eating their food.


    I remember watching a documentary a few years ago about an organization that "saved" a group of children who were working at a factory and then put pressure on the local govt to raise the working age to at least 14 years old. The organization was quite proud of themselves, but the focus of the documentary was on the other side of the coin with the fact that these children were supporting their elderly or disabled parents.

    One girl was quite upset because she was the SOLE earner looking after her blind, disabled grandmother, and now they were living on the street because she couldn't get work anywhere. She was now begging on the streets. Is this right? No, but what is the solution here?

    I like how sometimes people feel "guilty" eating or shopping somewhere. Why is that? Do we know we are being sucked into their "trap"?? lol
    12 years ago

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    Wayne

    Wayne

    As a consumer, I'm pretty good about spotting fakes, such as those gadgets sold on late night TV infommercials. But, I figure if someone else has the spare change and wants to buy that, then so be it. It's not my business to say how they should spend money. As someone who advertises a site, I try to stay true to my own personal code of ethics. I just say things how they are and if someone wants to come by to check out what I'm offering, then they will.
    12 years ago

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    Marlin

    Marlin

    If your customer finds out you lied, then they won't have anything more to do with you. Then you would lose a lot more than one or two sales, you would lose a customer who might have purchased from you for a lifetime.
    12 years ago

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    Corzhens

    Corzhens

    I had the chance to get a glimpse of one advertising congress. In his talk, one advertising agency CEO admitted that you cannot make a very truthful advertisement because advertising is being creative. That simply means that truth in advertising is not strictly followed. But in fairness to those advertising agencies, he said that you can liken the lies in advertising to the cinematic effect in movies. The lies per se is bad but it can be used in a nice way. Oh, whatever that means.
    8 years ago

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