Regulating Advertisers

There is a difference between pushing for a product’s sale and deceiving the public into buying a product. A significant number of companies have faced problems with using the latter to sell their products. Accordingly, an example of false advertising and its possible implications shows why advertising should be regulated.

Describe an advertisement that was misleading and did not provide complete and honest information about the product or service. Your example can be from print, television, radio, or the Internet. It can be local, national, or international.

In 2015, the Dannon Company advertised its new yogurt brand Activia by claiming that it has some ‘bacterial ingredients’ which had been clinically proven to help with a person’s digestive system and improve their immunity. The company used the actress Jamie Lee Curtis to push the product with the above information to the public. The company even proceeded to sell the product at a 30% higher price than the average market price. The company was sued for false advertising information after its claims were found to be false and settled for $45 million (Heilpern, 2016).

Summarize how its deception could have been harmful.

When a product is advertised as having medical benefits like Activia yogurt, consumers may buy it for specifically that reason. For people who experience real immunity issues or problems with their digestive system, the company may be exposing them to serious health issues when they use the product with the hope of getting their health status to a better state.

Recommend an action that would deter this type of activity in the future.

An action that would deter such actions in the future is government regulation on advertising. There need to be clear rules on what is allowed and what is not with regard to consumer product advertising. Companies that proceed to break such rules should be held responsible through hefty fines and even the possibility of their business license being revoked. This will help to protect consumers from false advertising that can be harmful to them.

References

Heilpern, W. (2016, March 31). 18 false advertising scandals that cost some brands millions. Business Insider. Retrieved 24 July from: https://www.businessinsider.com/false-advertising-scandals-2016-3?IR=T

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Discussion u6d2 Regulating Advertisers

Sometimes, communications to the public can be misleading or do not provide complete information. Be aware of this and learn how to identify when this occurs.

For this discussion:

• Describe an advertisement that was misleading and did not provide complete and honest information about the product or service. Your example can be from print, television, radio, or the Internet. It can be local, national, or international.
• Summarize how its deception could have been harmful.
  

  Regulating Advertisers

• Recommend an action that would deter this type of activity in the future.

Refer to the Discussion Participation Scoring Guide for posting expectations.

Discussion Participation Scoring Guide