A Wider Perspective

I think we’ve all been let down by an advertisement before.  Its definitely not the greatest feeling in the world – disappointed and in a warring debate on whether to still purchase the item because you’ve waited a good while for it!

The topic of false advertising was brought up in my friend, Jordon Leung’s, blog.

He mentions the let down faced when eating KFC, the picture portrays an image of crispy tender chicken pieces.  But in real life, it is, for lack of better words, a muddle of grease and fat.  False advertising is really a turn off for consumers and decreases a customer’s loyalty to a company.  Having worked as a sales associate, I have been on the other side of false advertising and have seen the disappointment and anger of a customer.  I used to work at Aritzia and during Boxing Day, misleading advertisements are used extensively every year.  For instance, among an island of expensive hoodies and a couple of socks, there would be a huge sign saying “up to 30% off!” (the up to being in fine print, obviously).  In reality, however, only the socks are selling for 30% off, the high demand hoodies are actually only reduced by five dollars.  I’ve noticed the different customer reactions to such advertisements: some scoff and laugh at the sillyness of the trick, some are angry, while others unwillingly still pay for the product.  Either way, they’re not happy!

I completely agree with Jordon in that ethics should play a huge role in marketing.  Yes, there are legal boundaries, but the consumer should also be respected and considered beyond those boundaries.