Posts Tagged ‘marketing’
Skepticism: The Best Remedy for Miracle Cures
February 26th, 2010
by Lisa
One of my funniest memories of my dad is how he would frequently have me pick up a bottle of turpentine when I did his shopping. After ruling out the possibility that he was opening a hardware store or polishing an entire log cabin, I finally asked what the heck he was doing with that stuff. Turns out he used it for “Old Arthur,” his nickname for arthritis. Whatever turpentine’s imagined or real effect, Pop was convinced it did the trick.
As a city girl with country roots, I’ve heard of (and laughed at) lots of other outlandish home remedies and “miracle cures” for almost anything — from headaches to diabetes. And although I pressed my dad to put down the polish and see his doctor, it’s sometimes hard for me to ignore the ads for powders, pills and potions that are “guaranteed” to burn my stubborn belly fat or give me 48 hours of energy for my 18-hour day.
But, too often, these products are not effective, rob consumers (despite meaningless money-back guarantees) and, most tragically, can deceive consumers into forgoing proper medical treatment for life-threatening conditions. What’s more, they may interact dangerously with medicines that someone is already taking.
The FTC’s Health page includes red flags to look for and other advice to consider before purchasing health products. The site also tells consumers how they can file a complaint if they’ve been taken in by a company selling phony products.
If I didn’t inherit (all of) my dad’s eccentricities, thank goodness I have his sense of frugality. So “four easy payments of $59.99” is enough to turn me off. If you know someone who’s not as skeptical or cheap, pass this along. You might save their health (or, at least, a few hundred bucks.)
Tags: arthritis, diabetes, diet, infomercials, lose weight, marketing, miracle drugs, remedies, weight loss
Posted in Health | 3 Comments »
Someone’s Target Audience
January 7th, 2010
by Jennifer
The first time I remember being really aware of target marketing, I was in the movie theater. It was a few years ago, and a friend and I had gone to a teeny-bopper movie. (OK, I admit it: my taste in movies is the opposite of high-brow.) The previews started, and that’s when it happened:
“Why is it so loud?”
“You call this music? It’s just noise!”
That was us. The actual teenagers around us were just enjoying themselves. However, our thirty-something selves reacted like we were our grandmothers. Clearly, we were not the demographic the advertisers were after.
For anyone who’s had a similar experience (seriously, are you sometimes offended by the ads that show up on your Facebook page?)
, you know you’re someone’s target audience. But kids (and, oh, others) haven’t always figured that out.
That’s where a trip to the FTC’s online mall is in order. YouAreHere teaches kids 8-12 about being smarter consumers, covering subjects like protecting their privacy (online and off), why competition among businesses matters to them, spotting and avoiding frauds and scams – and understanding advertising.
In the West Terrace of the mall, animated guides Isaac and Emily introduce kids to advertising. In Shuman’s Shoes, they can design an ad (and learn about ad claims). In Gr8 Gadgets, the Chopper Dan experience shows what happens when the cool toy on TV isn’t so cool in real life. The Nutritional Emporium teaches kids to check out ad claims. (Does “Doctor Approved” mean it’s automatically good? Short answer: no.) And perky Claire at the wireless kiosk gives a quick but thorough lesson on targeting.
I should have played it before I went to that movie.
Tags: advertising, children, kids, mall, marketing, movies
Posted in For Kids | 2 Comments »