The Real Big Social Bubble

Commerce and consumption and social stress near the limit?

We may be entering times of great social unrest. There are too many corporations, selling too many products, with too many varieties, too aggressively!

We, who are able to, are consuming too much, resulting great waste and pollution.

There has been some talk of a long term commercial bubble that is strained considerably and about to burst. Perhaps like previous occurrences when business, markets and spending were pushed too high by investment, business and consumer recklessness. They then slumped and later returned to a more normal trend line. While we may again repeat that cycle there is also concern circulating about double dipping to yet new lows and perhaps worse.

Much of the populace is in worry mode about finances, family, and the environment and what lies ahead for our lifestyles and the world in general. These are both confusing and stressful times if we consider some of the negative trends in the way commerce, government and people are acting and interacting. The circumstances this time might be quite different than in earlier serious setbacks as there have been so many social changes for so many years, both positive and negative.

In my 77 years I have seen so many great advances made in living standards, for most; yet there has not been accompanying success in attaining greater social happiness, world peace or eliminating poverty. Over the past decades in the developed world, our society has turned into a consumption monster where more is never enough. So many excesses have been pumped into the way we live under the intense pressure applied by corporate marketing. Commercial interests are now always in the forefront 'encouraging' us onward.

Have we come too far down the wrong path for a gentle turnaround?

The ideology of free enterprise is total devotion to maximizing profits in any manner allowed and increasingly without fairness. There is also a lack of effective laws to control unethical business practices, or the will to enforce those that exist. This infected free enterprise system is allowed to grow with little obstruction and in such a way that social abuse for personal or corporate gain becomes more acceptable with each passing year. Competition for consumers' money, to increase shareholder value, is always a priority. This has some very undesirable effects on society as corporate methods intensify and become less ethical.

The overall results are obvious. We are living in an era of ongoing dissatisfaction with what we have, and with what we must have. We have been told over and over that we need more stuff - and we believe it. Most of us. We are going to pay the price for allowing this, in our living standard values, and with world social distress and environmental deterioration.

Democracy's 'free enterprise' has been too free as it has allowed the corporate world to design our social habits and standards to their liking and financial benefits. We have been programmed to always expect more, much of which is non-essential or promotes unhealthy or stressful living and resulting in great amounts of waste being dumped every day.

Too many, too large corporations are producing and marketing too many goods and services that do not make life better or may even be harmful. The costs of material and wages are wasted when the production is unneeded whereas they could be directed to producing more goods and services that have social and family values, such as in education, health, peace, poverty assistance and world friendly projects. Regularly today newer products and services are unimproved, of poor quality, defective or unworkable and simple junk. But too often it can be sold for no good purpose other than for profit, depleting and spoiling our world's natural resources needlessly.

Can pumping money into a faltering enterprise system, to encourage more buying to boost the economy and markets really help society? Perhaps.

But we must consider some of the material things that are now aggressively merchandised that are excessive in quantity, size, style and cost; proud possessions such as cars, homes, clothes, appliances, gadgets and toys. Increasingly these have too many features so they can be proclaimed 'New and Improved'. There are too many varieties of too many products, which might not differ significantly but will waste more retail space and fill our shelves at home, perhaps to be trashed unused.

And while exorbitant riches may come from this and be too easily or unjustly accumulated for some, others in this world live in devastating and cruel poverty.

A more valued, equitably distributed lifestyle lies ahead for the world's citizens, but not with the underlying commercial and political strategies of today.

Perhaps we will continue this trend another decade or more until it no longer holds together. An unfortunate outcome, but at some point in time consumers will have had enough. They will become dissatisfied with democracy's hang-ups and begin to regret life's stresses used in the processes of acquiring those things which do not make for a better life at all. In very recent years there has been a backlash slowly arising. The serious issues of global warming and environmental deterioration have had increased attention that will hopefully expand significantly.

But to fix this once and for all we also need to return to a more rational way of existing that is satisfying and fair to all, and sustainable. We cannot continue with our high flying market-consume way of living if we want a society that we can feel good about. Simpler living is one prescription, from the super rich corporate executives, athletes and entertainers, down to so many middle class citizens we need to downsize our artificial desires. And the lives of the unfortunate lower class must be improved and poverty eliminated.

This will require a new way of thinking about ourselves and our place in the world and it will be necessary for citizens to voice their dissatisfaction with the commercially oriented society. We must insist on strong and innovative systems of government for all that do not favor corporations and the elite.

Consumers will become dissatisfied with democracy's hang-ups and begin to regret life's stresses used in the processes of acquiring those things which do not make for a better life at all. In very recent years there has been a backlash slowly arising. The serious issues of global warming and environmental deterioration have received increased attention in recent years and hopefully will become mainstream in future social planning.

But restoring normalcy to the artificial aspects of our way of living will involve less commercialism and consumption. Outlawing excessive and deceptive or harmful advertising would be a good start towards long term social healing. Imagine the changes if there were strict regulations in place, with goods and services purchased more wisely, not by persuasion but out of necessity or by word-of-mouth recommendation.

Marketing and consumerism are due for severe trimming, in this decade or perhaps much further on. Profits will shrink, businesses will suffer and markets will drop as we begin to return to a more natural existence.

Sooner or later, quickly and harshly, or gently over time, a simpler and happier society lies ahead.

Related Social Fix Articles    -  Short url to this page http://goo.gl/X325S
 
You may excerpt or re-use this article with a link back. Bookmark or share it also.

TV Addiction Wasteful and Harmful

Television viewers might best be called consumers.

At one time television in the living room was a place for the family to get together to watch a family program, and the choices were quite limited. Since then it has 'progressed' in such a way that huge amounts of programming are now directed at different segments of the family. As a result most of it is not watched as a group and may be viewed separately at different hours or in separate rooms.

Over the years TV has brought into the home entertainment, news and commercials. Lots of continuous and persuasive commercials. To increase their marketing effect the news and entertainment are stretched, exaggerated and designed to grab viewers' attention. Shock topics and vivid attention grabbing presentations are continually increasing while wholesome, friendly and cultural productions are fewer.

Television today is an overbearing medium for the corporate promotion of products and services. Massive amounts of commercials are sent to family members daily directing them towards different, sometimes conflicting markets. In their efforts to gain attention to their promotions marketers will use intense, noisy, provocative and offensive material in the programming. And there is constant repetition in the advertisements until the messages take hold; to sell stuff which so often is not needed or which may even be harmful to society and planet.

For individuals and families there is a steep cost in watching television, financially and in the loss of valuable communications and true healthy values. All or part of so many families are addicted to this way of life - gazing at the 'idiot box' and absorbing its messages. It can be very difficult to ease back on watching television in favor of unpolluted pastimes. How are you going to break a deeply ingrained habit of so many years?

First you must want to change, then use your imagination just a wee bit, and read up. Think outside the BOX and list other things to do that will be fun, more relaxing and have less negative influence on you and yours.

A few suggestions.
A new hobby indoors or outdoors can be a lot of fun and very satisfying.
Work on a photo album or scrapbook, one you can touch and feel and show.
Go for a walk around town, in the park, or to the library.
Read a magazine article, a book or learn a new skill.
Visit with neighbors, and why not discuss the effects of television with them.
Check off another chore on your To-Do List, or start a To-Do Chore List.

Get the kids involved.
How TV Affects Your Child at Kidshealth.org has some very useful information for the family: Teaching Good TV habits, Risky Behaviors, Practical ways to make TV-viewing more productive in your home, and talks about violence, obesity, commercials and a TV ratings guide.

"The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development."

Katherine Westphal at Trash Your TV asks; "WHAT?!? GIVE UP MY TV?!?!"
Katherine suggests turning OFF your TV for a happier, healthier life and offers a Free Ebook 'The Awful Truth About Television'. She puts all of TV's negative effects into perspective and suggests that giving up TV may sound preposterous at first. That little box in your home looks so innocent. So entertaining. So relaxing . . .

Unfortunately, an ever-growing body of scientific evidence indicates that TV viewing has become an unhealthy addiction for millions of people with emphasis on sex and violence.

Visit Trash Your TV and learn more about Television and the family and life values.

A phrase borrowed from the computer programmer's repertoire might depict the effect of television in our lives; "garbage in - garbage out."

And an unknown author; "I wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There's a knob called "brightness", but that doesn't work."

* A revision and extension of an earlier post as per Article Blogs and Re-posting.

Related articles

* You may excerpt this post with a link back. Bookmark or share it also, if you wish.

The Great Advertising Bubble

Advertising is everywhere. In print publications, TV commercials and infomercials, spam and junk mail, telephone marketing, product labels, massively scattered in sport venues, and increasingly into what should be our valuable public spaces.

Corporate marketing is so very invasive as at every turn it can be in our faces, infiltrating through our eyes and ears and establishing residence in our minds for very many years. The average North American is exposed to hundreds or much more advertisements per day. This has influenced us for so many years that many of us may not have considered how it has affected our lifestyles and society as a whole. The young are virtually swamped with instructions on what and how much to buy, and how they should live socially, and from such an early age.

This social manipulation designed by the corporate world has to go down in history as a great failing of democracy.

No wonder we live in a materialistic society - we are programmed to want more, of many things many times each day; and the ads work their wonders. How has this come about? In earlier years advertising was used to introduce new products and services or significant improvements to existing ones, and in a less intense and more ethical manner. Over many decades it has become the competitive, persuasive marketing tool that it is today. Where once consumer conversations played the important part in a product's success, the strongest and shrewdest marketing campaign too often wins the battle for sales today.

Consider the average citizen's daily exposures to advertising.

Television program commercials have increased in intensity and as a percentage of viewing time and movies will often step up exposure towards the end when the viewer is locked in. Bottom of screen ads are beginning to appear in programming and this trend will extend, perhaps through an entire program, as viewers remain complacent. Children will often insist on watching the commercials; they're cleverly done and entertaining, but they are also influential and addictive. The kids need help and not only from the parents but from our politicians who can fix this if the desire is there.

Local news broadcasts are stretched thinly and cheaply and inserted with many commercials along the way. Some TV services have a channel with program listings which rotate very quickly and take up only 1/3 of the screen area. The remaining 2/3 of the space features loud, distracting and annoying sales pitches that overpower the listings. Most commercials are intrusive and louder than the regular programming and family conversations.

I won't listen to the radio station that plays my favorite tunes. Between songs they not only run ads but keep repeating the name of the station over and over between every song, often two or three times.

Clothing. How gullible are consumers? Pretty easy, some, when they will pay extra to walk around with brand advertising on their clothes. Labels are proudly displayed on clothing because manufacturers have convinced many that this will raise their status or improve self-esteem and perhaps show that the wearer is clever, has good taste and belongs. How strong is this artificial image enhancing trend? The example that had me gape in amazement was a baby sleeper with huge brand letters taking up the entire front. This is insane! Unbelievable that this could be purchased by a mature adult or that this is even permitted!

Retail in-store promotions while shopping often include vocal nagging and now the use of overhead persuasion monitors is on the rise at the checkout or elsewhere. A recent twist is a monitor at the checkout registering your grocery tally and prices as they are rung up; a great idea. Half of the screen display is, you guessed it, product promotion.

In-your-face store displays and sale signs get bigger and spread out like dandelions. SALE used to indicate a bargain. Now it's SALE SALE SALE SALE multiplied and scattered all over the store. And these or similar displays might be there every week and perhaps no bargain at all. In-store marketing is captured advertising, as long as you remain in the store.

More serious though, store food product packages carry impressive, often deceptive ads on their labels, to encourage shoppers to drop them in their baskets. How do you feel about splashy cartoon attractions directed at kids, on food packaging that contains sugar laden cereal?

Big sports require big money to pay big salaries and fans pay for this in big ticket prices, and in a great absorption of advertising. It is stunning to see the ads inside an arena, repeated many times around the sides, on the uniforms and playing surface, above the seats, on the scoreboard. Hockey games for one are halted to allow for more television commercials for the at-home fans.

Public space belongs to the public; what is adverting doing on our park benches, our buildings and transportation? Politicians are selling us out when they relinquish our property to commerce. Some governments not only go along with this marketing madness but act like their greedy corporate buddies do and actively bolster their gambling revenue with active exaggeration campaigns.

"Your Dreams Can Come True . . . $30,000,000 JACKPOT . . . Get Rich Now . . . !"

Political campaigning by today's representatives is mind boggling and would-be candidates continually reach new lows as negative electioneering takes prominence over plain old, exaggerated and fictitious, facts and promises. They are chucking ethics out the window like profit hungry merchandisers.

Sales flyers and other junk mail are delivered to our homes in enormous quantities. Take notice that many items in a sales page may not be on sale at all if they do not specify a discount. Inserts often contain sub inserts of different sizes that try to fall out when you open them, to get your attention. Repetition in advertising sells and you can get exactly the same insert a week later with only the date changed.

Internet ads are always looking for new ways to get in your face. Old style pop-ups may now appear when you mouse over words. Top and sidebar attention grabbing images jump up and down so you must notice. The ad screen area percentage keeps increasing with a wider or a second column, or with a deeper or a second row. Some news or mail services require clicking through one or more propaganda pages to get to your destination.

Spam is always trying to worm its way into the home through the PC but fortunately can be controlled quite well with software but caution is still required. A previous PC I bought was a cheapie but that was no excuse for them to load the stupid thing with advertising. Just imagine - you didn't even need to go online to get pop-ups.

All cities are not all that beautiful in the same way, but some could be a whole lot prettier with lowered ad exposure. Huge ugly billboards, business signs, advertising on buses and bus stops, public benches and buildings does not make a pretty picture.

It's nearly impossible to avoid commercial promotions from infecting us; they are too strong a force. Unless we live in the deep woods or dark cave they will likely creep into every corner of our lives unabated, coming in different forms from many directions. In your face marketing is wide reaching and always ready to occupy more of our lives. There are many billions of dollars spent on advertising each year and we are paying for it in money, and also most dearly with a loss in true values in our lifestyles.

Advertising is always there, working relentlessly and herding us along the trail to a world garbage dump. The reason for this marketing tidal wave? Competition for sales and profits. There are increasingly more companies with more products and services competing for the same money.

It's weird that we are generally so predictable as far as advertisers are concerned. They simply have to attract with entertainment, noise, shock, repetition, and other attention grabbing tactics. It could be very annoying but it will likely reside in our heads for a while. It's a battle for our minds and we are losing much of our natural desires to live happy and valued lives.

Singularly, intrusive marketing incidences are of little concern but widespread and continual they affect us personally and socially in a negative and unnatural way. I wish our governments would do something about the state of commercial marketing. And the good guys in the business - they should speak up and demonstrate ethics in commerce. Who knows but this might be a profitable business strategy and government could offer incentives to encourage it.

Related Social Fix articles.
Updated and expanded from an earlier issue as outlined in Article Blogging and Re-posts.
* You may excerpt this post with a link back. Bookmark or share it also, if you wish.

Sellers shrewd, buyers stupid?

Cunning, deception, lies. Business marketing to consumers has taken on some weird aspects that appear pointless or senseless. What's peculiar though, is that some of it must be quite effective as they commonly appear in advertisements and transactions. And worse, the pettiness often crosses the line to crass double-dealing.

Trickery and deceit are some of the marketing annoyances shoppers experience today. Much of it is foolish and laughable, some quite maddening. As old ideas wear out they are being replaced with trickier and fiercer methods to win the consumer. Always creative in new ways to attract a sale, ridiculous to nasty selling techniques are popping up like dandelions.

Selling the consumer in ways gone mindless.

Are they stupid? Do they think we are? Are we shopping stupid?

Consumers mostly don't seem to care about the deception that is generously scattered throughout the shopping environment; it has become part of the scenery. Shoddy products and services, excessive misleading advertising, in-store sales trickery, hidden costs, fine print, credit gouging. It's just the way it is. The use of sly corporate retailing methods will continue to increase as the need for profit is always strong, and as long as we appear complacent and go for the bait.

Funny, annoying or exasperating. Words I've encountered in the shopping world.

FRESH IMPORTED. It was fresh when it was picked and packed.
FRESH BAKED. It was fresh when it was baked and sent by truck.

Return to manufacturer for full refund if unsatisfied.
Shipping is not included, of course.

A Home You Deserve. AFFORDABLE LUXURY. Oxymoronic, foxy expressions.
Minutes from downtown. 60+ minutes. SALE 2br + den $1,392 month. The price?


Your call is important to us, please stay on the line.
If my call is important answer the phone!! Better still don't give me a reason to call. Actually I think they just want me to hang up, not bother calling back, save them some money.

Some conditions apply. My loss will be their gain.

Tag Black and Blue Sale. 40% OFF BRAND XYZ.
Excludes prices ending in .99, 95 and must be purchased using our Charge and Loyalty cards.

Gramma's Own Heart - Home Style Pie.
Contains natural and artificial flavors, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, potassium sorbate (preservative), carame (color),cellulose gum, mono and diglycerides,sodium citrate, palmitate, sulfur dioxide (preservative), mononitrate, propionate (preservative).

One Size Fits ALL. This is just a large size, no big deal.

Impress Your Friends and Neighbors.
Isn't there a cheaper than $40,000 way to be admired?
How about if I just try being a kinder and nicer guy?

Dear valued customer. We have introduced improved changes . . . Oh! Oh!

Your Favorite Channel News Hour.
Commercials, weather, sports, casual fluff and news snippets.
NEWS continues after the break. They use to call them commercials.

The More You Buy the More You Save. Hmmm . . .

Many new features. Easy to use.
Easy for them, they made the stupid thing. Too many features, confusing instructions. The number of bugs in a product is proportionate to the number of useless extras.

Store loss leader. Customer loses when leaving with a cart full of overpriced goods.

Delight in Eden Pure Bottled Water. Pure water is water. H2O.
Super Duper Heavenly Soft Tissue. Roll is almost weightless, cheap and powdery.

$14.95/month for the first 6months. A classic example of stupid shrewd.

Everything Half Priced. Some exceptions apply. Define everything please.
Up to 80% OFF! Never could I find anything useful at anywhere near that discount.
Buy One get One at 1/2 Price. I can only use one so I don't buy any.

NEW COFFEE MAKER. Programmable, start brew functions, built in clock.
Unplug when not in use! Resetting the clock each morning could get very annoying.

No Sugar Added. Ingredients: Sweeteners, fat, salt, enhancers, color, preservatives . . .
Contains No Fat. Label on a jar of pickles yet - ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Contains Real Fruit. Wow! But how much?

WONDER LOTTO Super Sized Maximum Jackpot. Get Rich!
If you need gambling addiction help call this number. 727-763-6382

$1.79/ lb - SPECIAL - $0.96/lb Club Card Price. Get their card or shop elsewhere.

Lowest fares on sale now. Does not include extras. Surcharges per person each way.
Flight Touchdown in Belle Paradise. 'Touch down' + Exchange passengers = 2 hours.

Product of Canada. Farmed in USA. Processed in China. Packaged in Canada.

ROOMS $99.99 Per Person. Per Night.

SPECTACULAR low priced product. The refills cost more than the product.

Cell Phone $0. Wow!

This could go on, and on, and on, like an annoying commercial and the market place seems to be totally saturated with stuff. But this stupid/shrewd marketing will continue because consumers are taking it, even though they may not like or even detest it.

You may not be a stupid consumer but aren't you treated like one?

Related posts
* You may excerpt this post with a link back. Bookmark or share it also, if you wish.

TV Commercials Annoy and Upset

Loud, repetitious and invasive television advertising is altering family life and society in a very negative way. Irritating and disturbing, or simply attention grabbing, TV commercials blast messages into the home about what we need to buy, much of which is wasteful or unhealthy. Every day morning, afternoon and evening it loudly states the terms of reference that we as a society should live by.

Television is saturated with continuous promotions that are very persuasive and have an enormous influence on the family and how we should behave.

It is difficult to resist the magnetism of this powerful media marketing monster, unless you have become a rare 'idiot box' abstainer.

How much advertising can be put into a program until viewers will no longer watch? Lots it seems as ad length and frequency increase yearly. There is so much programming that contains excessive amounts of commercials and often the same ad will be seen repeatedly throughout the broadcast, and all year long.

Local morning news carries reports of accidents, robberies, murders, repeated weather and traffic, and plenty of useless chatter, and great amounts of advertising. Often after a string of commercials a glimpse of the news desk appears, catches your attention, and then continues with commercials. Or "We'll tell you the results after the break." A 'break' used to be called a commercial or a message from the sponsor but this is the language of marketing.

TV series and movies are saturated with consumer persuasions that are shrewdly crafted to get maximum attention. Again, it may appear that the story is about to continue, and it does but not just yet; more enticements. Many movies will begin with a reasonable amount of advertising and then swamp the captured viewer towards the end.

Station and product logos during a story are appearing at the bottom of the screen more frequently and I have seen these appear throughout an entire movie. Watch for this to extend to more programming and perhaps through an entire broadcast.

Where there has been the occasional boisterous commercial the majority of these are now above program intensity or booming with a verbal message and background music. "I can't read this, turn that stupid thing down!" occasionally pops up during an evening movie. MUTE button to the rescue! In answer to a consumer concern about this, a station technician had explained to the broadcaster that the sound was not louder but it was enhanced to sound louder.

The TV commercial scenario which I find most unreasonable and annoying is our TV program listing channel. A long while back this was just that, a continuous program listing. Now loud ads take up about 2/3 of the screen while the programs are quickly scrolled through the lower 1/3. In recent months the 1/3 sized listing begins with two more ads in that congested space. If you want to see what's coming up you must watch big loud endorsements. I find this in-your-face marketing example to be totally ignorant.

A sad aspect about this heavy TV commercial onslaught is that so much of it is to promote the sale of goods and services that we do not need or may not be good for us. Some of the biggest advertisers are large successful companies that have lowered their standards to targeting these promotions at children. Bombarding kids and teens who watch 4 or more hours per day with persuasions to want stuff is sick and unacceptable marketing.

Why do consumers put up with the intrusiveness and extent of annoyance in today's TV viewing?

There is not much one can do against the monumental power house of big business. If politicians can't or won't fix this how can moms and dads? They can of course refuse to participate and turn the television OFF and get busy on tasks and play, indoors and out. Which is really not such a bad idea is it?

"The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." - Ray Bradbury, The Golden Apples of the Sun


Related posts
* You may excerpt this post with a link back. Bookmark or share it also, if you wish.

Does Commerce Govern Society?

Social justice is not keeping pace with world wide business expansion. As corporations expand globally the world's natural environment and so many of its people are neglected or abused.

The big question: Where is government?

More questions need answers.
Certain foods contain additives that are known to be harmful to life.
Why is the mass marketing of unhealthy products allowed? To kids?

The cutting of trees is draining the life blood of the natural world.
Is allowing the mass mailing of junk advertising crazy or what?

Deception and other sly business tactics are unjust but widely used.
Traps in advertising and contracts are common, costly and mean.
Where are the lawmakers and enforcers?

Over-production and excessive-consumption are destroying the globe.
Why then, all day, every day the constant brainwashing, BUY MORE?

Sub-contracting production to inhumane and child labor is cruel.
Put the CEO's behind bars, or on the production line?

Gambling is addictive causing much personal distress and suicides.
How can a government greedily market lotteries and casinos?

Sport event tickets are exorbitant while players' salaries are astronomical.
Corporations gobble up season tickets, often to be used for mini bribes.
Can't we make this work better for fans and families?

After years of expanding business prosperity the rich-poor gap widens.
Many are destitute or starving. Many accumulate mountains of money.
What is democratic about this?

Working long hours at tough jobs takes from the family and life in general,
Why aren't we in richer societies living easier, simpler and happier?

Advertising is the engine, everywhere, everyday, training young minds.
Is imposing restrictions on useless or harmful advertising undemocratic?

There is so much wrong happening in our commercialized world with the continually declining corporate ethic. There is deceptive marketing, shock advertising, small print, brand bullying, targeting children, bypassing the needy, environmental destruction... And society trends right along with increasing materialism and artificial lifestyles.

Corporate conscience, true government for the people, and social values seem to have crested in recent years. Perhaps meaningful change lies ahead. Perhaps it is time for a rewrite of democracy and free enterprise, with a more just and humane bias.

But with many politicians rated near the bottom of the trust scale, hoping for positive change any time soon does not seem practical. Is it possible to reverse direction and alter the political environment such that politicians are there, not for themselves but solely for the good of the people? Is a grass roots movement in the future?

Related posts
* You may excerpt this post with a link back. Bookmark or share it also, if you wish.

Shopping Traps and Scams: TIPS

Deceptive marketing and consumer awareness information.
Tips to avoid scams, rip-offs and costly bad purchases.

Where is the corporate ethic going? We don't know for sure but it seems to be getting meaner each year, so consumers should be aware of shrewd marketing techniques so as to save money and avoid frustrations.

We are shopping more than ever in this continuous commercial expansion of the past century. In most recent years there has been very rapid change in the manner of transactions and the experiences of consumers.

The business side of the equation continuously becomes evermore crowded with new companies and more wares to sell. The always present need to increase sales and profits in this environment has seen a gradual lowering of merchandising standards as marketers leap frog over each other and grapple for customers. and profits

New tricks and traps are sprouting like stubborn weeds throughout the marketplace. The shopping adventure has become an encounter and it is not taking place in an arena of fair play.

Scams, bad deals sold as good buys, are particularly troublesome when they are costly and have strained your budget.

TIPS and cautions for the pricier stuff.

• Be suspicious that it may not be a bargain at all. What can be wrong with this? Surcharges for service, supplies, delivery?
• Beware of advertising that is carefully and deceptively designed to make you BUY.
• Time is important if you have it, shop around and compare products and prices.
• Ask friends and co-workers about experiences and opinions which may be very valuable.
• Fast talking sales people can sell stuff that you will regret ever buying. Wait and return later if it still seems like a wise purchase.
• It's necessary to have a good warranty and return policy but are they clearly defined in writing?
• Very important: Read the fine print! An agonizing task perhaps but that is where the tricks are buried.
• Paying by credit card is an option as you may be able to dispute a charge.

Even the less expensive traps can be costly and unpleasant as they add up.

• SALE usually means a price reduction but it may still be too high.
• Terms like SPECIAL HOT PRICE can be empty words to lure buyers.
• Running out of stock immediately after the bargain priced sale begins.
• Study sale display signs or you may checkout paying a non-sale price.
• Bring the ad with you and crosscheck the sale price with the actual paid.
• Reduced prices not computer updated, happens just too often.
• Double scanning and double pricing occurs now and again.
• Check the prices on the display screen as they are scanned, and/or
• Read the sales receipt printout item by item, preferably before leaving.

Miscellaneous suggestions.

• Retailer price-matching policies are often provided to match or beat a competitor's price. Ask.
• Many stores will give you a rebate if the item goes on sale 30-90 days later. Another reason to keep the receipt and it's easy.
• Search websites to compare prices, perhaps for stores in your area.
• Plan for and gather information on future purchases. On the spot buying can so often be so regrettable.
• Shopping as a pastime? Read, play, exercise, enjoy nature, and live a free and healthy lifestyle.

Related posts
Consumer and Social Improvement Resources

* You may excerpt this post with a link back. Bookmark or share it also, if you wish.

Consumption and the Environment

Commerce and society's consuming lifestyles the big natural spoiler.

Consumption: damage, destruction, exhaustion, loss, ruin, waste.
Interesting, synonyms for today's popular social occupation of consuming.

When we read about environmental deterioration and the protective remedies required, the solutions most talked about understate the most important fact. Sure we need to protect our resources, buy energy efficient products, reduce waste and pollution and there are hundreds of ways to do so. These requirements which we have finally begun working on more seriously are increasingly well discussed.

But lifestyles of consumerism have given so many of us in the richer countries that feeling of 'prosperity' without due consideration of the overall effects. Marketing has been the engine, with business and shareholder profits the purpose. Half the world has been unnecessarily over consuming, leading us down the path to destroying our planet.

It's what has made the economic system work so well financially, for so long. The system has not done so well with improving social values, family life and world poverty.

Consumption excesses.
There are currently many ideas and initiatives to slow the environmental damage but that will not be enough. A dramatic social change will be required to make the largest impact in halting and reversing this downward spiral. A change to simpler, valued lifestyles of consuming less, which so many have left behind, is looming. By choice or by result.

Through decades of steady corporate enticements, the consuming 'haves' of the world are consuming just too much, and looking forward to acquiring yet more. More gadgets, cars, homes, autos, clothes; and bigger and better each time.

Where is 'enough' in this picture?

The status quo social structure depends on maintaining this commerce-consume routine. It is solidly established and moving onward. Advertising is the tool - the go between connecting business and citizen. We should be very concerned about how we have been programmed and how our lives have been affected.

As world trade expands and the poorer nations seek a better and more humane existence some false concerns may arise. It's not simply a result of too many people on the planet.

Consumption dwarfs population as main environmental threat.
It’s the great taboo, I hear many environmentalists say. Population growth is the driving force behind our wrecking of the planet, but we are afraid to discuss it.

It sounds like a no-brainer. More people must inevitably be bad for the environment, taking more resources and causing more pollution, driving the planet ever farther beyond its carrying capacity. But hold on. This is a terribly convenient argument - “over-consumers” in rich countries can blame “over-breeders” in distant lands for the state of the planet. But what are the facts?

The world’s population quadrupled to six billion people during the 20th century. It is still rising and may reach 9 billion by 2050. Yet for at least the past century, rising per-capita incomes have outstripped the rising head count several times over. And while incomes don’t translate precisely into increased resource use and pollution, the correlation is distressingly strong.

Moreover, most of the extra consumption has been in rich countries that have long since given up adding substantial numbers to their population.

By almost any measure, a small proportion of the world’s people take the majority of the world’s resources and produce the majority of its pollution. Take carbon dioxide emissions - a measure of our impact on climate but also a surrogate for fossil fuel consumption. Stephen Pacala, director of the Princeton Environment Institute, calculates that the world’s richest half-billion people - that’s about 7 per cent of the global population - are responsible for 50 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Meanwhile the poorest 50 per cent are responsible for just 7 per cent of emissions.
. . .
comparisons between nations are firm enough to be useful.

They show that sustaining the lifestyle of the average American takes 9.5 hectares, while Australians and Canadians require 7.8 and 7.1 hectares respectively; Britons, 5.3 hectares; Germans, 4.2; and the Japanese, 4.9. The world average is 2.7 hectares. China is still below that figure at 2.1, while India and most of Africa (where the majority of future world population growth will take place) are at or below 1.0.

The United States always gets singled out. But for good reason: It is the world’s largest consumer. Americans take the greatest share of most of the world’s major commodities: corn, coffee, copper, lead, zinc, aluminum, rubber, oil seeds, oil, and natural gas. For many others, Americans are the largest per-capita consumers. In “super-size-me” land, Americans gobble up more than 120kg of meat a year per person, compared to just 6kg in India, for instance.
Read this Online Opinion article by Fred Pearce.

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. It exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

From the other side of the globe from here: India Environmental Portal
A very interesting site by the Centre for Science and Environment. It has a wide variety of environment articles and resources on pollution, forests, industry, water, climate, energy and more.

Related consuming articles on this blog
* You may excerpt this post with a link back. Bookmark or share it also, if you wish.

Consumer: Corporate Enemy?

Misleading ads, credit scams and widespread deception.
Sly contracts, unhealthy food and disinformation campaigns.
Fine print, bad customer service, switch and bait selling.
Price gouging, and nastiest of all - marketing to children!

An arsenal of meanness is pointed at citizen consumers.

The trend towards using trickery in capturing sales for increased profits has been expanding competitively for decades. It's our present day version of free enterprise. Scamming consumers may not be such a big deal anymore because competitors are doing it and there is not a lot of harmful publicity if exposed. Besides when consumers are cheated they usually will not complain - because it's just not worth the effort and they are becoming used to it.. They might even blame themselves for getting trapped once again when they should know so very well to watch out for double-dealing when they shop.

It's understandable that a corporation's competitor might become its enemy if the one-step-ahead routine gets out of hand. But what about the beloved consumer as the new corporate enemy? Think about how you are treated in some of your consuming experiences. It used to be a scam would likely have occurred with someone selling a watch on the street corner but this has moved up to the big players in business.

Some corporations believe in the principal that it's only a crime if you get caught - and convicted. Even then the consequences may not be so severe and thus worth the effort. And so the manner in which many companies produce and market their products and services continues its long term downhill trend ethically, with little resistance demanding positive change.

NEWS Item: SCAM CORP agreed to pay a $333,000,000 fine.
They did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement.

In the past it was a common declaration of how most companies expressed their dealings with consumers. They were proud to say so and backed it up with easily accessed customer relations personnel that were there to correct or to explain. Things have turned 180 degrees when dealing with many businesses in today's marketplace.

NEWS Item: SCAM CORP announces company name change to SLY ENTERPRISES.

Gone are those days with many companies or sometimes entire industries. Customer service often may not be there, difficult to access, bankrupt of fairness or expressing large amounts of fluff in answer to buyers' concerns.

A new business axiom could well be "Beat the competition and the consumer in any manner within the law." There are so many marketing, sales and service methods used by businesses that do not appear to meet basic ethical standards.

Exaggerated and deceptive advertising is now very widely used, some questionable, other deceitful and mean. This can appear in various media or store display tags and signs. Trick labels require careful word by word study by the shopper to get the true facts. It may yet be difficult and the resulting purchases surprising and disappointing.

The techniques are creative, varied and widespread.

The purchase of unsatisfactory products and services is the purchaser's loss when the fine print in a contract is just too hard to read or understand, or is excessively long. Fine print is a very popular business tool.

Credit gouging is so common and it takes terrible advantage of those who can least afford it, often causing family devastation. Luring of the unfortunate marches on through media and mailbox, trapping them into paying excessive rates and fees.

The marketing of unhealthy food should have been stopped dead in its tracks years ago yet we still see enticements toward cheap, tasty junk food. Much of this is directed at kids and can set them on a path to serious health problems later in life. Packaged food can contain excessive taste enhancers and preservatives to extend shelf life and profit.

Shock entertainment and commercials catch attention and sell product but soil social standards going forward. Shock for attraction is a relatively newer marketing strategy that seems to be increasing in use and intensity.

Shamed into buying. This marketing method involves creating an 'acceptable' vision for the prospective purchaser. Everyone else will look better and be better than you unless you too acquire their product. You might even be embarrassed or shamed if you do not.

Unethical promotions like bait and switch have been used by large retail store chains. Here you are attracted to a bargain at a store but it is sold out even when you get there early. A similar, costlier item is there. Incidents of this surface but are buried very deeply somewhere, not likely in the popular news, and it is also quickly forgotten with stepped up advertising.

People don't complain much because it turns out to be so useless so often. If it is an obviously deceptive sales promotion complaining will be fruitless, after all if it was purposely designed that way what would you expect? Responses to my complaints vary: " Standard practice in the industry" . . . "The warranty only applies . . . " "Valid with the activation of . . . " "our intent has never been to mislead and I believe our practices will bear me out." . . ." "Terms are only for the first six months . . ."

And well discussed these days is the massive world pollution and environmental destruction of our cities, our land and seas, and our world. These are the results of the continuous and excessive production of wasteful products that do not enhance life or social values but provide profits.

The picture is gloomy as society seems to be generally accepting all this including the programming of the next generation to a life centered on consumption. The marketing area of economics has shaped society to what it is today, materialistic and artificial in many ways, to those who have accepted it.

Do we want to allow this? While we may think it a waste of time, if we don't like what is happening commercially and socially, or are unhappy with our governments, we need to speak up. Corporations must be made to use decent ethics for the good of society. Complaining to business and government needs to be made easy by encouraged submissions of complaints. Consumers as citizens need strict enforced guidelines, fairness and protection from corporate bullies and it can only come from governments.

Required: a federal department that uses marketing to encourage consumers to speak out on unjust business practices, and then act strongly on it.

Alas if business and government are too well knitted together to expect any improvements we can at least sound off to our friends and anyone who listen. There are many websites appearing that together could begin a movement for positive corporate and social change, but this will face great opposition backed by mountains of money.

"Corporation, n, An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility." - Ambrose Bierce

Related Social Fix posts

Store Shopping: Feels Like Theft

Store scams trick and cheat shoppers at the checkout.
Retail outlets scamming consumers with mean tactics.

It was another great sale and I was running a purchase through the clothing department checkout of a large retail chain store. "That item is not on sale", I was informed. This sounded familiar; anyway I needed this, paid the regular price and left.

A few months later I was at the same till with a 'discounted' package of socks and was again told that it was not on sale, it was another brand. Beginning to get a little wiser, finally, I returned to the display with the socks to study the situation. Several brands were mixed in a prominent display which loudly shouted 40% OFF at the top. Small words indicated the brand name that was on sale but that product was not prominent in the display, and it was not what I was holding.

As I was putting the package back I heard a man at the checkout, "but the sign says . . ."

The methods are creative with bright signs and small print like, "Does not apply to items with prices ending in .96 or .99", brand xyz excluded. Then off to the side a smaller notice; "when purchased with our store charge card."

How common is deceptive in-store marketing?
On becoming more concerned about the increasingly deceitful treatment of shoppers I began to pay more attention to ads and store displays, carefully studying the words. Often with an advertised sales event the messages were difficult to understand, purposely to entrap the buyer I concluded. On one of my tours through a mens clothing department sales event I heard a senior clerk explaining to a junior how a particular item was not on sale.


Obfuscation: the concealment of intended meaning in communication, making communication confusing, intentionally ambiguous, and more difficult to interpret. - Wikipedia

As I later wandered through the department store's shoe department an elderly lady and store clerk were looking at a sign 7 feet above which listed the runners that were included. The clerk was trying to explain to the nice little old gal why she was not holding a bargain.

"Our computer must not have been updated."
I'm amazed how this has suddenly become so popular in my shopping experience lately. The regimen goes like this: On the store shelf is an item at 30% OFF but at the checkout it rings up full price. Perhaps some people do not pay attention to the cost, while others just swallow it and go on their way donating a few dollars to the store.

Again, when this began to sound familiar to me I started paying close attention. The routine played out twice at a one national department store's branch and twice at their other outlet. I did get the displayed sale price but when I complained and I notified them that there was no excuse for this to happen with any frequency. I was told that they were probably just busy and forgot to update the computer.

Note: As I was winding up this article I revisited this store to pick up a few things including a 6-pack of Scotties Tissues reg: $6.99 for $5. You guessed it, $6.99 on my receipt list. I returned for an adjustment and the familiar response; "The computer... and this on the last day of the sale!

Supermarkets are in on the tricks and traps game where the advertised produce may be way back in the corner and a very similar product is in-your-face as you enter the store. There was a big special last Christmas on certain turkeys but they were difficult to pinpoint. As the regular price rung up I told them to take it back and that their efforts were devious. The other sneaky display routines are widely used in some supermarkets that I do not frequent anymore.

Catching consumers at the checkout is just one of many varied ways merchandisers can cheat customers out of their hard earned money. It's shrewd, unethical and fairly easy to get away with. Most buyers aren't looking for scams or might feel embarrassed about making an issue of the pricing if they are not sure.

CHECK THAT RECEIPT PRINTOUT!

Grampa Ken - Author of 32 Keys About Life and social issues blogger at Social-Fix.

Related posts

Kids: Commercial Scapegoats?

Is trapping children the guarantee to future business expansion?

What an easy mark kids are for the big corporation when focusing on sales and profits extending into future years. Especially at an early age when they can be so easily swayed towards corporate choices of lifestyles of consumerism and the buying of certain products.

Of all the unethical happenings that are transpiring to further contaminate the commercial enterprise system, marketing to children is the most upsetting.

This cannot have been restrained much by government intervention or public demand because it is continually more invasive. There are intense commercials that brainwash the young innocent minds. Product displays like food packaging are specifically directed at kids. There are toys and giveaways to attract their attention to a product. It is all so well established and far-reaching that it is somewhat of a conquest of child, and family.

The competition amongst marketers to sell childhood products is very competitive and so the game play becomes more excessive. Trapping the little ones towards each marketer's product is the reward for clever marketing.

It's scary to imagine how far this can be taken. If children are allowed to be brainwashed in any way it should be towards living a healthier and happier life. This would include topics like honesty, nature, charity, friendship, healthy food and lifestyles.

Children are in the learning years of their lives and will absorb much of what is put to them, at home, school and elsewhere. In the classroom they are presumably taught the required educational basics for communicating and earning a living, and some values for living happily. This is also the object of parents whose most precious assets are their children.

Here the problem becomes more difficult and the results less desirable since many parents have already succumbed to this materialistic lifestyle to some degree. They may be just too busy or unaware of what is happening to a whole generation.

Have we lost the battle and the war against the commercial mega-machines? Have many of us not already lost some of our truest values to big business? Do we want our children to travel down this path?

Parents should not be left alone to fight the huge tide of marketing that promotes and persuades children in an artificial direction. Government for the people should be for the people, and that includes kids! Solid support by our politicians in the form of strict legislation favoring families over commerce is sorely required, long overdue, and yes, a monumental task at this point in time.

But they will only act effectively and in favor of the little citizens when it is demanded of them. So let's get interested and turn this around. Check out the advocacy websites, post on family and social change forums and blogs. Discuss your concerns with your co-workers, friends and neighbors. Web search the topics that most concern you.

Examples of resources dealing with marketing to kids.

Monitor on Psychology - Advertising to children: Is it ethical?
Some psychologists cry foul as peers help advertisers target young consumers.

The New American Dream reviews a book by consumer expert Juliet Schor on this very disturbing trend.

The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture by consumer expert Juliet Schor, explores the damaging effects advertising and marketing have on children. According to this breakthrough research, the advertising-saturated culture our children are exposed to is causing an array of psychosomatic symptoms.

Expenditures for advertising and marketing aimed specifically at children have risen to over $15 billion a year. This amount is likely to grow with the increase in children’s buying power, now estimated at more than $30 billion a year in direct purchases. Children influence an additional $670 billion worth of parental spending, making them a prime advertising target. It’s estimated that the average child watches more than 40,000 television commercials per year. According to a recent poll released by the Center for a New American Dream nearly 8 in 10 of Americans (79%) think there should be more limits on advertising to children. The majority of Americans (87%) think that our current consumer culture makes it harder to instill positive values in our children.

The review cites the book's six tips to help parents reduce a child’s exposure to advertising. This is really worth reading if you have kids.
The full review at The New American Dream.

Amy Jussel's Shaping Youth blog is a heart warming big effort devoted to media and marketing's influence on kids. Nice work Amy!

Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix

Other posts about kids here at Social Fix

Social Bullying is Big Business

The corporate use of bully marketing has increased considerably in over the years. Shaming consumers as one way to convince them that they need certain products. As we compare our possessions with one another we tend to develop a need to belong to a certain material status and perhaps keep ahead to be really cool and admired. In competing this way with one another we travel down an unnatural path.

Bullying is an intimidating, harmful mental or physical act directed at an individual and rooted in meanness. Milder, widespread bullying is often associated with consumerism, both by individuals in a social group and by corporate marketers greedily playing on social fears to create false desires - for their goods.

We are constantly bombarded with persuasions to improve our lives artificially by acquiring more things. We must have newer, bigger, better cars, the latest branded styles, gadgets, higher end homes and furniture and we should look beautiful too. Acquire these things or we might feel inferior.

A promotional technique used by corporations seeking higher profits is to make people feel inadequate if they do not own a certain product, because the smart good looking people have it. The marketing can be crafty and cunning often convincing us that life will not be OK, unless we gain the acceptance or admiration of others. An individual captured by this type of marketing might feel inadequate and even humiliated unless possessing these 'necessities'. And it can be very difficult to resist if peers have already given in to the pressure.

The result of all this can be a strong underlying urge to compete and raise one's standing at the office, school or neighborhood. This can be harmful or even devastating to those who will not or cannot keep up. Youths can be very stressed in these situations as they worry about socializing and their future. Various forms of bullying can result in sad personal consequences including social anxieties or worse.

Advertisers Strike it Rich Targeting Kids
"Advertisers now spend more than $230 billion a year, or $2,190 per household, according to advertising giant McCann-Erickson, and there is little question that much of that advertising is designed to effectively target kids. Kids 12-19 spent a record $155 billion of their own money in 2001, up from $63 billion just four years earlier. And according to kids marketing expert James McNeal, children aged 12 and under influenced more than $500 billion of their parents' purchases in 2000."
More with tips for parents from the New American Dream.

Steve Kravit and Jacqueline express concerns in a Scribd paper
Shaping Society with a Lack of Shape: Media Representation and Body Image
"We are each exposed to over 2000 ads a day, constituting perhaps one of the most indirectly powerful educational forces in society relating to our self body image. It can be seen that advertisements ultimately sell a great deal more than products; they sell values, images, and concepts of success and worth
. . .
They in a sense tell us who we are and who we should strive to be. Men and women, teens, boys and girls—all segments of society tie identity to the way people look, to body size and shape, to clothes and even one’s hairstyle.

Therefore, the way we view our body and image can have a tremendous impact on the way we feel about ourselves. For most people, especially adolescents, body image is strongly influenced by mass media and advertising."
Read more on Media Representation and Body Image . . .

Further reading on this topic is the book Brand Name Bullies: The Quest to Own and Control Culture. It gives an impassioned, darkly amusing look at how corporations misuse copyright and trademark law to stifle creativity and free speech. More info and resources.

Life should not be about the phony materialistic images shoved in our faces. Satisfaction about who we are, about friends, families and the natural world around us is what we need to embrace.

Styles promote a competitive environment but friendship grows easier in a noncompetitive environment.

Short url to this page  goo.gl/ESQGp  
 

Greed to Maximize Profit

You too! Can make a career of lying!

Cunning: skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving; craftiness; guile.
While this is written in 'fun', if you have been stung recently you might not be laughing.

Shrewd ways to maxing business profits. A short summary of sly marketing tips.

• You do not need good product if you have good marketing.
• Fibs and lies - to maximize. Beat the competition and the consumer.
  
• Repeat an ad til they're sick of it and they will remember.
• Anything goes to complete a sale except blatant theft if you might be caught.
• Exaggerate. Never say it just as it is.
• Hook them early in life when it is easier, effective and permanent.
• Remember: The customer is always fair game.
• Public relations access should be non-existent or at least difficult to locate.
• Be fluent in talking fluff, a necessity for deflecting serious complaints.
• Print boldly on labels and in advertisements the really good things, even if there aren't any.
• Do not preview difficult instructions about the product. They can find out later.
• Sub-contract for lower production costs and to evade responsibility for delivering shoddy products or services, or inhumane labor practices.
• Do not display unflattering details on the product package unless required by law. If required by law make it difficult to read or understand.

So you can make much money! If you attract, shock, annoy, deceive.

But would your mom be proud of you?

Hopefully these suggestions will not be used as sales success guidelines by anyone anxious to move 'up' quickly in the competitive business world.

These ideas are not far fetched, not in the commercial environment in which I wander with my eyes wide open.

Note to marketers: You may think this picture unfairly misrepresents the business ethic and yourself. Probably it does with you and your area of business, and commerce should not be all painted with the same brush. But I see a trend here that should be reigned in if it is not already too late.

Look at this from the view of the consumer who has just purchased something that is totally unacceptable and is upset at the distasteful, deceptive or annoying manner that was used in selling it. There are associations with standards and these standards need to be followed. Violations and unethical practices of competitors need to be reported. Associations need to enforce their guidelines and improve them where they are lacking so that they will provide a totally honest business to consumer relationship.

Fix your industry or accept that consumers will increasingly consider themselves victims of foul play in their business experiences.

Related greedy posts

This Creative Commons article is free to copy with the following hyperlinked byline.
Grampa Ken - Author of 32 Keys About Life - and blogger for change at Social-Fix.

Deceptive Food Labels

Does that package label mean what it seems to mean? Maybe not!

The words and images on a product label can be the difference between a sale and a pass on to another product on the shelf. And so the competition has been on - to create a better designed label that will appeal and convince. Some very imaginative and sly plays on wording and images are used to trick the shopper and make a sale.

Basically, emphasize and exaggerate that which will appeal and camouflage or hide unfavorable facts. It is very important for consumers to examine what is clear, vague or hard to read on a label, and to analyze the wording.

A non-food example is a package of containers that has a large 8 on the package. But you do need to look closely to see that it's not 8 containers but 8 pieces, 4 containers and 4 lids. There are lots of examples of this popping up all over the stores.

But Food is of the most concern because it so directly affects our health.

Some major food producers have been successfully sued for deceptive labeling but it is difficult because they work very cleverly within existing laws. But deceptive food labeling is there with lots of foxy ways to display and sell a product that turns out to be not what it seems to be.

Small print is a handy tool for deceiving buyers. Ingredients lists that are long might mean that there are numerous things there that you do not want to be consuming. If you take the time to read the small print you might just pass on it, and so the small letters. Although sometimes with too many words there just isn't enough room for regular size. Ingredients are usually listed in descending order of predominance by weight. Check out the list and all the tiny words before you buy.

The marketing of juices has brought out some creativity in labeling. A mixture of water, sugar and juice can be called Juice Fantastic, Juice Shangri-la and such. MADE WITH PURE JUICE does not indicate how much pure juice it contains! 100% Juice Blend: CRANBERRY. The two brands I've used have the main juice ingredient listed as GRAPE.

100% pure jam sounds pure but 100% jam does not mean 100% fruit. Does the jam recipe that is used contain excessive non-fruit ingredients such as sugar?

Very common is the bold declaration of a single healthy aspect which will downplay the unhealthy ingredients. There are so many examples of this but one that is very popular right now is the large NO TRANSFAT. It can be loaded with unhealthy saturated fat, salt and sugar but it has NO TRANSFAT. NO SUGAR ADDED does not mean unsweetened and might contain other sweeteners or taste enhancers.

Some breads contain a variety of additives but it's not very obvious when printed on the clear part of the packaging in small letters. Do they not want us to read this?

And how about those little symbols that look remarkably like the Health Check logo of the Heart and Stroke Foundation?

15.4% LESS SALT could still contain excessive amounts.

PRODUCT of CANADA. Does not mean that is was produced, processed, packaged and distributed in CANADA. Some food products pass through several far away countries on the way to market.

There are so many examples of food labels that can fool consumers and buyers should beware of exactly what labels say and what they do not say.

The bottom line: if you care about your health and what you are eating analyze what's written on the label.

Related Social-Fix food articles  -  short url to this page http://goo.gl/pvfzr

Retail Store Scams

The customer is always fair game.

The old motto in merchandising used to be; "The customer is always right." Not any more!

Misleading ads and contracts, credit greed, fine print, deceptive promotions are just some of the unsavory selling methods that are used to increase corporate profits. There are trends in areas of the retailing of goods and services which appear to play the consumer as an enemy whose money is to be captured. Varied sly and innovative tricks abound.

An example is an increasing trend by some retailers to trap the buyer in the store, at the checkout. There are sales items cleverly placed in mixed displays. The reduced items are there but so are several other similar products that are regular priced and very prominently displayed. Almost caught again, I was at a large chain department store checkout and discovered the unexpected actual cost of a pair of socks. I refused to accept this and returned to the display to put it back. At another checkout I heard a man saying: "But the sign says . . .". I have checked on this and the scam is regularly used in this large department store and also by other retailers.

Some of us may not pay attention to the cost at the till if we have bought other items, or are perhaps we are embarrassed to make an issue of it.

Raising the price of an item immediately before putting it on sale is another scam for which some major companies have been fined in recent years. Whether or not this is a hindrance to them in trying this again, or some other ruse, is dubious. There is not a lot of publicity, the public seems unconcerned and they are later dragged back with more 'clever' marketing.

Another technique that I find irritating and unacceptable are brightly colored price tags that look exactly like the sale price tags but are not sale priced. Tricky! This is gaining in popularity because it works! When I sent a complaint letter to a drugstore chain head office I received a reply from the president no less. (Use the word 'unethical' in your letter to get attention). He stated how hard they work to show integrity and fairness and to save money (same tag style) etc. "I can assure you our intent has never been to mislead . . ." And other fluff.

Yet another new scam is appearing and may well become popular. A flyer or shelf item is sales discounted but at the checkout it is rung up at full price. I assume that we are not supposed to notice, but when questioned the response is that the computer must not yet be updated for that. However I have experienced this at one department store three times. After the last occasion I left for the adjacent supermarket where the same thing occurred.

Advertising flyers will often have regular priced items cleverly mingled with specials so if read too quickly purchases are made because they seemed to be on sale. Another newbie trick experienced just a few days ago: An eight page flyer displaying a Week Long Sale on the front page had a small ad on one page with several items on sale Friday and Saturday, and another at the end with a Monday and Tuesday date. This was the same large department chain store that seemed to lag with the computer updates so frequently.

This and other forms of the hostile treatment of 'dear valued' consumers will trend onwards in this deceitful manner until adequate checks are in place and penalties and publicity are stronger. This will only begin when consumers voice their displeasure in large numbers, and when there is an easy way to do so.

Related S-F posts

This Creative Commons article is free to copy with the following hyperlinked byline.
Grampa Ken - Author of 32 Keys About Life - and blogger for change at Social-Fix.

The Declining Business Ethic

We know there is a downward trend in corporate management ethics because it has attained prominence in the news in recent years. It is more widespread than for the personal gain of a few. The commercial marketing and retailing of goods and services has become increasingly shoddy, sometimes bordering thievery. This is often engineered by large corporations.

It seems the public has come to accept this trend towards deteriorating ethics in marketing. Casual discussions generally suggest some degree of anger and that this is just the way it is. Wise consumers are becoming much more suspicious and are exercising caution when considering purchases. Those that don't proceed carefully may pay for an unexpected unpleasant experience.

Ethics: principles, moral values, conscience.

How widespread are questionable or unethical business practices?
Very! Here are a few generalities covering some wide areas of deceptive marketing and disappointing products and services.

• Marketing to kids: morally wrong yet progresses creatively and vigorously.
• Selling unhealthy foods which are cheaper to produce and more profitable.
• Fine print advertisements and contracts that are too hard to understand.
• Inferior product quality that is often just no good but marketed aggressively.
• Sub-contracting production to hide unethical use of cheap or inhumane labor.
• Merchandising environmentally unfriendly, wasteful or useless products.
• Junk mail, spam, telemarketing - annoying, excessive, costly advertising.
• Trick labels require careful study word by word to get the true facts, maybe.
• Trick ads that make you think you're getting something you aren't getting.
• Store sales displays catch you at the checkout with the unexpected regular price.
• Shock entertainment and commercials sell, but soil social standards.
• Credit enticements and payments gouging.

And so much more greed in our free-enterprise society.

We got problems. Big serious long-term problems with commerce and society, and government.

Exacerbating the continual spread of greed in retailing is the fact that there are too many enterprises competing for the same overextended consumers' purchasing desires. And which corporations want to lose market share? Each works questionably harder to increase those consumer desires and generate more sales.

There is also the passivity of consumers. We just don't take the time to complain and seldom discuss our gripes with one another. Nor do we resist the commercial persuasions and opt for a wiser and happier social life style.

And then there are our governments, they don't seem to care, perhaps because there are too many business interests governing government.

So what to do about the deterioration of business ethics?

We need to think more about what's happening, talk it up with others, and read about the facts and solutions. It's important that we send comments and letters to businesses, associations, government officials and talk to people like ourselves. We may have gone too far in the wrong direction but we can do something for the newest generation, in education and by example.

Democracy - Yes! Free enterprise - not this way!

Other posts on ethics

This Creative Commons article is free to copy with the following hyperlinked byline.
Grampa Ken - Author of 32 Keys About Life - and blogger for change at Social-Fix.

Public Relations Mouthpiece

Corporate Fluff: Talking on Empty

There is a business technique for answering accusations about shoddy or unethical services, products, or marketing: talk - talk - talk - talk. It is often used expertly by corporate Public Relations representatives when grilled about some questionable practice.

It doesn't even matter that the response to the accusation directly deals with the topic as long as the time allocated to the issue is used up with quick positive sounding words.

PR Mouthpieces can talk fluently and brashly exuberating knowledge, confidence and corporate self approval, all the while avoiding a pertinent answer. Often they will dance around the topic while sometimes they will say nothing at all directly related to the charge. Smiling.

A popular reaction to an accusation is bragging. A quick bounce off the question with a very quick loosely related comment, and then on to self-flattering details about how wonderful their company products or services are and how much they value their customers. A communications company representative defended a charge that his company may have over charged certain seniors for years. He answered all questions so very quickly and with so many empty words that I could not recall exactly what he had said at the end of the interview. But the interview was over with no admissions or reasonable explanation.

The PR man from a brewery defended an accusation that the company was targeting minors by confidently rattling off a lot of words and details about some of the good things the company does. When the session ended they somehow did not leave the expected bad impression as it ended on corporate positives. The problem somehow just disappeared to the viewing audience.

About five years ago a spokesperson from the Automobile Association was explaining to a questioning reporter on TV about why they aren't marketing more smaller cars. "People couldn't just sell their cars and buy smaller ones . . blah . . blah . . .". Following was an SUV commercial.

Fluff has been used in sales for a long time. Ask about some concerns on a prospective purchase and get some positives about something unrelated to your query. When I asked my bank financial planner if I could manage my own account online she said yes, quickly changed the topic and talked a storm about certain investment funds, and I can't remember just what, until I left with some of those funds. I transferred the account to my no pressure, no fluff credit union.

Another very big source of fluff comes from politicians but that seems to be part of the job description. "I don't have an opinion on that now but if elected Prime Minister I would have an open mind."

On a personal basis if you are discussing a complaint or request you should at least prepare for a lot of hot air. This is assuming that you can contact anybody that would be able to help you if you have a problem. Write down your concerns and when deflected keep bringing back the topic or you will come away wondering what happened.

Good luck! but it might be extremely difficult, I have seen seasoned journalists have their interviews melted away.


"The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold." - Aristotle