Don’t Fall for These Eight Misleading Marketing Terms
Corporations make a lot of things they want to sell you, and they invest a lot of money, effort, and time into convincing you not just to buy a product, but to buy a specific version of it. While there is nothing wrong with pointing out the benefits of one product over another, sometimes marketers use very vague or misleading phrases to convince you to choose the one they are offering.
The problem with these phrases is that they exist in a sort of gray area—they’re not outright lies, but they’re not particularly transparent either. When you see one of these eight terms printed on a product label, it’s a good reminder to think critically about what it’s actually telling you.
FDA approved
Seeing the phrase ” FDA Approved ” on a medication label will likely give you a certain sense of confidence. After all, the FDA doesn’t just approve everything! Getting FDA approval should mean it’s safe and of good quality, right?
But that’s not really what “FDA Approved” means. This phrase specifically means “a drug intends to provide benefits that outweigh its known and potential risks in the target population.” This has absolutely nothing to do with quality and does not even mean that the risk is low – just that the benefits outweigh the risks. This is useful information, but in marketing this phrase is used as an indicator that you are getting a superior product that can be trusted to be safe, when in reality it just means that it works and the flaws are (probably) worth it.
Genuine Leather
The word “real” plays a big role here. You’re probably thinking that it’s some kind of industry term that has all sorts of meaningful ratings and quality checks behind it. But according to Lifehacker editor Beth Skwarecki, ” real leather just means…leather.” This literally means that the item you are holding in your hand is actually made of leather. There is nothing said here about the quality of this leather – good or bad.
Patented
If you watch Shark Tank , you probably have a high opinion of the patent process and believe that if a product is patented (and advertised everywhere), then it must be innovative and unique. The implication is that you’re better off buying this version because no one else can replicate its patented magic.
Eh, not necessarily. Of course, some patents do protect innovative ideas. But patents can be issued for a variety of reasons—sometimes for minor technical improvements or new ways of combining ingredients or components. The US issues hundreds of thousands of patents every year, and not all of them make sense in terms of describing amazing breakthroughs or even unique applications. But the term lends some weight to other product claims about effectiveness, utility, and value, so marketers use it whenever they can.
Maximum strength
“This goes up to 11” in marketing copy. This phrase always looks convincing – it is usually written in capital letters at the top of the label so that you know that the product does not spoil and that it is the largest product you can buy.
The problem is, what does “maximum” mean? Maximum compared to what ? If this means comparison with other versions of the product, it does not necessarily mean that competing brands will not be stronger. If there is some legal or physical limitation on how powerful a drug or other product can be, then the same limitation applies to competing products. It’s a relative term that doesn’t mean anything unless you do some research to understand what the benchmarks actually are.
All natural
Every once in a while, someone falls for the classic“dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO)” joke , agreeing that a dangerous chemical like DHMO should be banned after learning about all the potential dangers it causes, such as death if accidentally inhaled. DHMO is, of course, water (H 2 O), dangerous under certain conditions, but also necessary for life. The fact is that many chemicals are technically all-natural, and the FDA does not provide clear guidance on what that term means. Most foods are processed to such an extent that it is impossible to define what the word “natural” even means, so labeling something as “all natural” means little.
Doctor approved
When purchasing any health-related products, it can be reassuring to see that they are “doctor approved” in some way. You might think that this means that a major medical association got together to recommend this product, or at least did some research and determined that this product works best. Although that probably doesn’t mean it. While this often means that at least one physician tested or reviewed the product, that physician may have been on the company’s payroll, and in any case, the phrase does not imply that any more formal or official approval process took place.
Clinically proven
Likewise, the phrase “clinically proven” can be misleading because the clinical studies mentioned are often paid for by the manufacturer themselves. While this does not necessarily mean that these studies are fake, it does call into question how objective the study and its creators were, and whether any independent authorities have validated its findings.
Even worse, sometimes studies cited as a “clinically proven” claim don’t actually prove the product works . Sometimes the fine print hidden somewhere on the label or website makes it clear, but not always. Even if the study was reasonably well conducted and independently designed, you would need more than one study to be confident that an active ingredient or a particular formulation of something actually works as advertised.
recyclable
If you’re concerned about the future of the planet, you might be looking for products that reduce your carbon footprint. Seeing that a product’s packaging is recyclable makes you feel better about using it because you know that when you throw it away, you’re not ending up in a landfill.
Except that’s often true. Companies sometimes use materials in their packaging that are technically recyclable but are virtually non-recyclable . In other words, a particular plastic or other material can be recycled, but aspects of the packaging itself – the shape, size and contents it contains – mean that it will be separated and thrown into landfill anyway. And sometimes the particular material used is not recyclable—for example, HDPE plastic can be recycled, but not all recycling facilities accept it.