3 Marketing (Advertising) Pet Peeves

Three examples to prove Seth Godin's assertion that All Marketers Are Liars. (Within the book he actually he calls them "storytellers".)

Gripe #1: Bottled water
Yesterday I stepped off the treadmill and reached for a flavored water. As I quenched my thirst and cooled down from the exercise, I noticed the message on the front of the label. The product was "Naturally Flavored".

Spurred by a sense of well being I continued to read on.... The backside of the label contained all the "ingredients" in the water and the declaration: Contains 0% juice.

Huh?

How can something "naturally flavored" contain 0% juice? I didn't come across the word concentrate - just a bunch of chemicals...

I wonder whether the bottled water company has Marketing write the front part of the label and an attorney write the reverse.

Gripe#2: Car ads
Any and all TV ads for cars that contain the caption "Professional driver. Closed course."
Stop trying to sell me a driving experience that I can't possibly (legally) have!

Gripe #3a: Pharma ads
All ads for medicines that contain the phrase: "Ask your doctor if [insert drug name here] is right for you!"

As comedian Bill Maher points out.. "If you're asking your doctor for drugs, doesn't that just make him your dealer?" At what point in our history did we decide to start taking medical advice from Pharma companies over the advice of our personal physicians? If my doctor isn't willing to listen to your sales pitch, why should I?

Gripe #3b: Pharma ads
Ads for medicines where the potential risks and side effects are longer than the symptoms they're trying to alleviate.

I admit it. I am now officially a curmudgeon.