It is estimated that in 2021 an average person might be exposed to as many as 10,000 ads per day. It seems like a lot, but when you think about it, ads bombard us on social media, TV, billboards, and even inside our fortune cookies. We get so used to them that we don't even notice.
One would like to think that marketing and advertising should bridge the gap between the seller and the buyer; make people trust the product and encourage them to use it. But their words often sound too good to be true. And they often are. If you see a big sign yelling “Everything's 30% off”, it might be designed to make you miss the small line at the bottom where it says that the offer applies to a handful of selected items only. Congratulations, you've just encountered false marketing.
This time, we will check out a few 'sometimes ridiculous, other times alarming and infuriating' marketing techniques that evil businesses use to take advantage of us and manipulate customers into buying more stuff. Continue scrolling and see these examples for yourself!
After you're done reading, don't forget to check out this previous Bored Panda post with 30 pictures that companies do not want you to see.
This post may include affiliate links.
Trashy Company
Man, That's Really Cheap... Oh
Holy sh*t. Seriously? It’s 24 dollars an hour just to park? Ridiculous!
To find out more about false marketing, Bored Panda reached out to Atul Minocha, partner at marketing consulting firm Chief Outsiders and author of a recently published book “Lies, Damned Lies, and Marketing: Separate Fact from Fiction and Drive Growth”.
Generally, false advertising involves companies giving out false and misleading information to advertise products to their customers. This covers product descriptions, pricing, and quality. Big organizations might advertise benefits you won't actually get or give features you didn't expect to see in the first place.
Packaging For These Markers
And During A Pandemic
Hans' pro tip: make exams in which you actually assess students' knowledge and problem saving skills. You can even make these open-book and allow them to browse the Web. As long as they do not plagiarise and cite correctly, everything is perfect. What do you say? Too much effort, you rather go for mindless multiple choice? Well, then do not complain that students try to game the system.
Atul Minocha told Bored Panda that false marketing has an effect on everyone; it's bad for the businesses that practice it and it's obviously bad for the customers. “It simply builds distrust. In fact, if a customer has been through this a lot, she or he will start distrusting even good and legitimate messages,” he said.
When asked why deceptive marketing is so widely used, Atul said he doesn't actually think it forms the majority. “In other words, most of the marketing is legitimate. Unfortunately, a few bad apples can create a lot of stink and distrust,” he explained further. Having these kinds of doubts might lead customers into thinking that all marketing is more or less self-serving.
I Have An Ad In My Fortune Cookie
Bought A Chicken Pot Pie Thinking It Was The Size Of The Outer Tin Before Cutting Into It And Seeing This Monstrosity
According to this study, almost 70% of British consumers don't trust advertising (which is a slice of the marketing pie) in general and 42% distrust brands, seeing them as remote and unreachable. The internet era has turned customers into researchers. The ability to fact check “has built cynicism as consumers investigate multiple sources“ to reach the truth. The same study shows that six in ten buyers claim they have become more loyal to the brands they trust.
However, some companies still choose to hide disclaimers on billboards and posters, lie on product packaging and deceive their customers into signing agreements without asking to read them first. “People who practice [false marketing] still do it because, perhaps, they are what we might call fly-by-night operators who are really not interested in long-term success. They are only interested in short-term and immediate gains,“ Atul Minocha told Bored Panda.
New Cereal Box Is 11% Taller With 1.6% Less Cereal
So Basically Every Price
But how should consumers react when they see deceptive marketing examples? According to Atul, customers should stay vigilant. If you have suffered from it, you should do at least one of these things (maybe even both): “One, file a complaint with the authorities. And two, use the power of social media to call out any misleading marketing encountered,“ he said.
Lastly, Atul is asking you not to reject all marketing, since most of it is actually good. “Great marketing starts with understanding the customer. This helps customers receive what they would want to receive,” he said. This way, there's trust between a company and its customers and that is crucial for any successful long-term relationship.
Imagine Cleaning A Fan So Well That You Uncover 2 New Blades
If they clean it even more, maybe it'll turn into a whole air conditioning unit.
That Would Explain Why My Ankle Hurts
By Opening The Envelope For The License Agreement, You Agree To It
Walmart Employee Here. We Were Given These Shirts Today. Walmart Profits Billions Off Of This Pandemic, Then Compares Their Sacrifice To WW2 Veterans
This “Dual” Camera Smartphone Doesn’t Have Two Functioning Cameras
False Advertising Should Be A Felony
When You Thumbs Down Trash Like This On Netflix But It Keeps Coming Back At The Top Of Your Homepage
Went In For The $1.99 Lunch Special. Sorry Sir, That Says $7.99 Lunch Special
The Mixed Signals Of This Shoe Sale Advertisement
Unremovable Ads On My $2,500 Samsung Smart TV
My Mother Recently Passed Away. This Morning I Thought I Got An Email From Her. Nope, Just A Spam Tabloid Naming Their Contact "Mom"
This Packaging. Was Wondering Why It Ran Out So Quickly
I have this same exact product so of course I had to go see if my bottle looked like this too. After prying the top open for 5 minutes, sure enough mine looks the exact same, BUT I can't complain. The bottle is labeled as .5oz, which is a bit less than standard for skincare products. (For reference, a typical foundation is 1oz). This type of vaccum packaging helps us get most of the product out of the jar with little waste. The alternative would be to scoop the remaining product out with a cosmetics spatula. For the price of this, you definitely don't want waste. The good news is the glass jar is recyclable. Tip- when buying cosmetics and skincare, always look at the ounces and not the package/tube/jar!
Walgreens Replaced Their Freezer Window Panels With Screens That Constantly Flash/Move And Don't Even Accurately Represent What's Inside The Fridge
This Post Card Is Made To Look Like It’s From The Dealership. It’s Printed To Look Like The Information Is Smudged So That You Will Call Them
It’s a third-party warrantee company.
Will result in *smudge* repair costs. Prey on anxiety. This is so sad
This "Avocado" Oil
Dish Network Sent Out Advertisements In Envelopes That Make It Look Like A Special Occasion Card
Also, trying to manipulate people by making the cards look handmade by a child.
I had a guy from the cable company come to my door to try and convince me to change our carrier. He almost had me at the cheaper price per month, but further research it was only for 3 months than I would be charged regular price. But he continued to hound me after I told him that it wasnt a good time to talk because I had all 4 of my grandkids that day. I dont like to be pressured on a sale, took a while for him to understand the word no.
I Live In Minneapolis, Some Jerk Is Leaving This In Tip Jars Around Town Ahead Of Trump’s Rally Today
An "Empty" Ink Cartridge That Probably Could Have Printed Another 50+ Sheets
Sign The Contract Without Reading It Please
I Just Found 20 Tunisian Dinars (7.5 Dollars) On The Ground, Then After Opening It, It Was Just An Advertisement For Some Stupid Discount
This Website Hilariously Just Stretches The Pixels To Turn Regular Clothing Into "Maternity" Clothing
They Took Away The In-Store Signage To Force You To Download Their App
I Just Got Ad In The Mail Disguised As A Hand-Written Letter. Address Is Covered So I Don't Doxx Myself
This Pamphlet I Got On My Door Making Me Not Want To Touch My Doorknob Until I Realized
Eh, I don't have a problem with this one. It's attention-getting but clearly only an ad as the ants are 2-D not 3-D.
This "Gold" Chalk That My Daughter Received As A Gift. White Chalk Spray-Painted Gold
I Love Ads On My £250 Console That I Continue To Pay £6 A Month To Play On
Is That Really Free Delivery?
This Vending Machine Is 100% Sold Out. It Only Tells You That Items Are Sold Out After You've Put Money In/Used Your Card
Food Delivery Service That Tells You “Someone Is At The Door! Okay We Lied”
This Kettle Saves 70% Energy. As Long As You Need To Boil 70% Less Water
Nearly Didn't Notice The Cheapest Car Wash Program
Chipotle Goes All-Out Advertising That For The Next Week Delivery Is Free, And Then Casually Makes The Delivery Menu Priced Higher Than The Regular One
Advertise Free WiFi But Make Sure The Customers Know The Procedure For How To Pay For It
Retail Sign At H&M Today. The Small Line Is Hard To Read In Person
There's always been a joke about these sales. Somewhere in the store, in the most unlikely place, is a $3 facecloth. So prices do indeed start at $3
I Got A Ticket. No, Just An Ad For A Tattoo Place
My School Has Vending Machines With Candy That Costs 1.50. They Conveniently Leave Off The 1 So It Looks Like It Costs 0.50
Who Thought It Was A Good Idea To Put An Image Of 7 Churros For The Sign Of 3 Churros
$4 for three churros, Damn! I mean, it's literally some fried dough with sugar on top.
Please, Just Stop Using Fake Money As Advertising
Most companies have a freepost number. Collect the unwanted garbage, pack it in a box with a brick and send it back to them. They have to pay for the weight of the package. In the Netherlands you can send packages up to 30 KG (66 Lbs) to a freepost number which will cost the company €17 on postage.
Got A Letter In An Envelope Which Said My Lease Was Terminated. Just Another Ad
How To Dissapoint Every Student On Campus
Film Producers: "We Need To Advertise We Have Multiple CGI Dragons." Marketers: "Say No More"
This Advertisement Designed To Look Like An Amazon Package
Many of these are absolutely appalling. What happened to integrity, decency and honour? Apparently they don't bring in the money
They never existed in the first place. At least in the world of business.
Load More Replies...This article could have been entitled "How to Market Your Product to Guarantee No One Will Ever Buy Anything from You Ever Again."
Many of these are absolutely appalling. What happened to integrity, decency and honour? Apparently they don't bring in the money
They never existed in the first place. At least in the world of business.
Load More Replies...This article could have been entitled "How to Market Your Product to Guarantee No One Will Ever Buy Anything from You Ever Again."