Advertising has long been considered a part of the marketing mix, which marketers use to realize their objectives. Most advertisements depict a positive image of the product. In fact, advertising can either build the brand or kill it. Looking at the recent promotional campaigns, there is a clear sign of overkill. Advertising is being used not for brand building, but to somehow make the customer buy the product, no matter whether the product is useful for him or not. Of late, it's the short-term results that are taking the front seat in advertising. The word "bluff" has now a lot of significance for customers because this is exactly what is being done to them in the name of marketing. When Samm Sinclair Baker stirred the hornets' nest through his revelations in the book, The Permissible Lie; the Inside Truth about Advertising, there was an outcry from the advertising fraternity which called him a traitor. The book was rejected initially by the publishers of the Reader's Digest for the fear of backlash from advertisers.
The theme of the book gains prominence now in the Indian marketplace which is crowded by products. Most advertisers have no idea of how to reach out to niche markets or catch the attention of customers. Bluffing is not about telling lies to customers because companies are aware of the implications. The Advertising Standards Council of India has strict restrictions and guidelines that provide a platform for monitoring advertisements and self-governance mechanisms for companies. ASCI have a set of guidelines that form the basis of this governance. The standards and regulations together with increasing consumerism have ensured that the consumers are not presented with products and services that offer claims that cannot be fulfilled. Various publications have also been proactive in ensuring that consumers are not cheated. So, this has paved the way for a new kid on the block, which is: "Permissible Bluff".
It is a legally permissible attempt to suppress information about a marketing offer and thus deceive customers to buy that offer. Scan through the advertisements in newspapers and publications, it is everywhere, in one form or another.The other day, a colleague showed me an ad soliciting loan seekers. The ad talked about a loan on the existing vehicle. The ad promised low interest rates, easy documentation and ready processing. Excited about this offer, my colleague tried talking to the concerned person for more details. He was shocked to learn that the company talked about the low interest rate of only Rs. 5 per thousand a day. That is a very low rate by any standards. There is nothing illegal about that advertisement. But the customer is bluffed. |
