Why one shouldn’t generalise

‘All marketing practitioners are devious truth benders and full of bull’ say an increasing amount of the general public. Hmmm; they have a point, haven’t they. Certainly, as far as television advertising is concerned, you may well be inclined to agree, and the marketers employed by clearly bitter rivals in many markets have to make ever more and more outrageous claims on behalf of their clients in order to secure market share, and therefore shareholder value. I would say dog eat dog, but obviously some dogs are more flavoursome than others…

Let’s have a look at what they mean, shall we. Toothpaste would be a good place to start. If the marketers are to be believed, you wouldn’t bother with anything that could only clean your teeth, now would you?

Oh no: apart from cleaning teeth, it must whiten them, freshen your breath, protect gums, kill at least 99% of all bacteria, imbue you with previously unachievable confidence, and several other benefits, many of which you may not even have known you needed.

Or deodorant, particularly one designed for those new to puberty to make them irresistible to the opposite sex.

Or shampoo that strengthens roots, gives your hair lustre and shine, straightens or makes curly, which ever you need, and just like a good toothpaste, gives you more confidence than you had before.

Or shower gel. Or worst of all, toilet tissue; they’ll tell you anything except what you’re supposed to use it for. I think you get the drift.

So why believe a marketer that says they’re different when confronted with other marketers who are clearly making ever more and more ridiculous statements? Well, we were brave enough to draw your attention to the failings of marketing as a whole because we dare to be different, dare to stick our collective heads above the parapet and above all, dare to offer a sensible and truthful approach. Whilst the wool can be pulled over the eyes of the dim, try and pull it over the eyes of the bright at your peril. What you need is marketing without the bull: now where have I heard that before…