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January 25, 2005
Truth in advertising
Jesse B. Hunt thinks some of the statements in my "Exposing Stealth Marketing" post are absurd.
He goes on to say:
It appears to me that the companies that are doing the [stealth marketing] have simply found a way to put their products in front of consumers in such a way that the consumer is actually willing to pay attention... Given the shortcomings of their mainstream marketing, if they can deliver their message in a way that makes consumers pay attention, what’s the problem?
...stealth marketing appears to simply be creative marketing (something we could all use more of.)
There's a wide, wide gulf between excellent creative marketing and stealth marketing.
The problem with stealth marketing is when prospects become unwitting participants in a cloaked process. It's opt-out marketing. Prospects are used by advertisers who stealthily insert commercial messages into real-life situations and hope they aren't found out.
There are laws, too, that govern advertising; it would seem stealth marketing violates those laws. From the Federal Trade Commission's web site:
When there exists a connection between the endorser and the seller of the advertised product which might materially affect the weight or credibility of the endorsement (i.e., the connection is not reasonably expected by the audience) such connection must be fully disclosed.
Truth in advertising has never been more important lest the global watchdogs, i.e, bloggers, sniff it out and pummel you.
That doesn't mean don't be playful or engage in irony, double entendres, or even snarkiness (Ben loves that word). It means, simply, don't lie (unless you're the president of the United States).
That seems of little consequence to the stealth marketers. No wonder two-thirds of Americans say they would pay for products or services that would block out unwanted marketing.
Mainstream marketing is failing because there's too much of it. The answer is not more creative ways to lie.
The answer is deliver more truth.
Other blogs that reference Truth in advertising:
» Lovemarks and Buzz Are Only Good When Authentic from BusinessBits
The title sounds reasonable enough, right? A number of people are upset with the lovemark/buzz trends cropping up. In short: companies are being semi-deceptive. In an recent post from Churh of the Customer, Jakie says:
The problem with stealth marke... [Read More]
Ding Ding Ding. Jackie, you're absolutely spot on. Stealth marketing isn't creative, it's lazy.
It's harder to form open and honest communication with your consumers. It's harder to forum real relationships with them. It's harder to make them feel like "part of the team".
But it's also about a million times more effective.
Stealth marketing is a loophole. Perhaps it's creative within the scope of that loophole - just like a tax accountant who cooks the books - but it's certainly not a good thing.
Murderers find brillant ways to hide their crimes all the time (at least until they're caught). Doesn't make murder a good thing.
I wholeheartedly agree with what Jake and Jackie have said. Sure, word of mouth is amazingly useful but there's a level of scumbaggishness associated with stealth marketing.
It's a faux attempt to tell someone what a good product for them would be. It seems that the existing level of trust is just being exploited.
