The number of complaints, especially
for beauty products, received by
agencies such as Advertising Standards Agency and the Better Business Bureau
are on the steady rise.
A recent opinion poll, based on a
sample of cosmetics advertisements in Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire, Harper’s
Bazaar, Elle, InStyle and People StyleWatch, revealed that a mere 17% of
respondents trusted the advertising industry, 39% were cynical toward advertising,
7% were deceptiveness-wary (they acknowledge advertising is somehow beneficial
without trusting it) and 16% regarded advertising as deceptively harmful. Out
of a sample of 621 ad claims, only 136 were found to follow fair marketing
campaigns.
Most cosmetic claims suggest that
well-being and happiness as a result of applying cosmetic products, yet there
is usually no substantiation of the claims, and those who back the claims with “scientific
evidence” and “consumer testing” often use questionable methodologies for their
substantiation. Some examples of
cosmeceuticals include anti-aging or anti-wrinkle products, fat-reducing creams
and facial scrubs for smoother, firmer, more evenly pigmented skin. In the case
of cosmeceuticals, the products claim to eliminate wrinkles, rather than simply
disguise them.
We at Herbally Radiant have been
highlighting this problem of unethical marketing claims, more so in the case of
web-based suppliers. In a case of specific
benefits of products, these should be clearly explained to consumers, and
comparisons should be stated thoroughly and completely. For instance, if the
product is “award-winning”, the claims should present unambiguously when, where
and what awards have been received by the advertiser.
For scientific claims, the concrete
evidence of ingredients, the scientific research processes used and lab results
should be provided in laymen's terminology. As such, consumers would have clear
understanding of such claims. For performance claims, marketers should also
provide concrete or supporting evidence
(e.g. explain how and why lip gloss can last for 12 hours).
There are also increasing concerns
about environmental issues among consumers. It would be desirable to indicate
clearly whatever environmental attributes might be germane to the product – for
example, that the product was not pretested on animals prior to being distributed
to consumers in general.
Additionally, research has also
showed that luxury perception may differ depending on the visual art employed.
Some of these visual arts are similar to the concept of “radical fashion” (i.e.
that unlikely to be adapted in reality). Consumers need to understand cautiously
the purpose of the images presented and the claims made in cosmetics advertisements.
To our customers, Herbally Radianthas been advising following cautions :
i)
An expensive product doesn’t
necessarily mean you’re getting better quality.
ii)
The salespeople at the cosmetics
store aren’t skin-care experts. They are trained to sell; they are not
necessarily trained to understand cosmetic formulations, different types of
skin and their characteristics. Selling cosmetics is of course a great career.
iii)
Just one high-sounding ingredient or
formulation is not the right answer for, say, anti-aging treatment. The
customer has to make his/her own assessment about the efficacy of the product
after reading the detailed ingredients.
iv)
Unfortunately, the cosmetic sellers
do not follow satisfactory ‘return policy’. It is, therefore, all the more
necessary to assess utility of the product before purchase, and lodge complaint
with the agencies in case of deceptive marketing tricks.
No comments:
Post a Comment