The recent controversy surrounding Maggi has raised a very vital issue about ethics in advertising. As management academics, we keep harping on advertising and marketing ethics semester after semester, but with little or no impact on the marketers, advertisers and endorsers. It is time to rethink advertisement ethics given the growing influence of the media over society which can be easily swayed to believe the unbelievable.
In fact the impact of the advertisement content is so powerful that it drives the gullible consumers straight down to the stores to purchase and use the product. More so, in a country like India where the degree of gullibility in high and a large number of consumers and are getting duped every day. False advertisement claims made about their products by big MNCs are blatant lies draped in colourful campaigns and crisp punchlines that mesmerise the vulnerable consumer into compliance due to the sheer celebrity status of the endorser.
The big question is: Can the celebrity get away after proclaiming utterly false benefits of a product to the consumerIJ It is time they should be made liable too because it is their stature that contributes maximum to the impact leading to purchase behaviour. The poor consumer becomes an innocent victim. Be it the effect of a food supplement on the growth of a child or the claim of an over-the-counter drug or ever a pain relieving cream.
It is time for the Advertisement Standards Control of India (ASCI) to adopt a more interventionist posture and take suo motu cognisance of advertising claims that are wide off the mark and are made with the intention to deceive the consumer.
In the US there is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that is in place for protecting consumers from false advertisement claims. The federal law says that the advertisement must be truthful, not misleading, and when appropriate backed by scientific evidence. The FTC enforces the truth-in-advertising laws on all kinds of media. The FTC nominates those claims that affect consumers’ health, like claims about food, OTC drugs, dietary supplements even more closely. And if required, the agency files actions in Federal District Courts.
Further, the FTC enforcement guidelines are there to make the endorsers know that they shouldn’t talk about their own experience with a product if they haven’t actually tried it. At times, the FTC may even decide to investigate if practices are unfair. False health and fitness claims are fought in coordination with food and drug administration.
China is even more concerned. The China Consumers’ Association oversees the advertisement claims made by marketers, producers and endorsers. Recently, China revised its law relating to false advertising and has proposed joint liability of media and advertisers. This, it is stated, will make media more responsible. Further, the organisations and individuals endorsing the products claiming false benefits to the consumers will also be liable.
Why it is important to enforce responsible advertising in India is because of the very high penetration of the media and its very powerful impact on society, particularly the large gullible sections. Honestly speaking, revenue generation through false claims tantamounts to thuggery. This kid of loot through jhooth must be reined in. You can’t get away by saying anything, and reasonable restrictions must be imposed.
The writer teaches management at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (Jharkhand). He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com