Yuku free message boards

Hi Klaus:

Klaus asks: "What are the major clues that hype or outright deception is being used in emotive growth advertising? Like what are the tricks of the trade? Do you think the higher the hype, the more unethical the organization often proves to be?"

Klaus as a rule of thumb the more hype and deceptive the advertsing, the more likely the company is to have mediocre or ineffective products and processes. Deceptive adverstising practices underline boldly that the organization behind it is unethical and is more interested in hustling something, then they are in the well-being of their customers. Some organizations may even be a danger to mental health consumers when the companies make exaggerated claims that their CD's and tapes are capable of "treating" ALL FORMS of anxiety and depression. I think it's the height of self-absorbed and unethical conduct to leave someone having a major mental health difficulty like severe depression, PTSD, Bipolar Manic Depression, and Panic Disorder with a technique CD or tape to fend for themselves or perhaps call a company support line staffed by persons unknowledgeable in major mental health issues. It's even worse when these outfits outright flim-flam and claim their technique is scientifically proven or clinically validated when no real research exists, only an unrelated study with a tiny sample. Or they use their own "inhouse" data bending researchers.

Klaus last year I responded to a similar question. What I'll do now is add a few more items to that response.
Hype and deceptive advertising do underscore the basic ethical stance of a company. Some people might say "Oh that's just the way business is done. Everyone uses hype and deceptive advertising." No they don't--there are number ethical companies putting out emotional growth products and techniques and they do not stoop to hype, deceptive advertising practices, fraudulent scientific claims, nor would they recommend their products and techniques for all forms of anxiety and depression. Their products and techniques are doing fine.


Here's a repost from our archives. I've added additional material to it:

Bernard asks: "How does one see through deceptive and misleading hype advertising in the area of popular techniques and 'mind' cd's and gizmos that abound. It's obvious that many consumers are rather psychologically unsophisticated and are marks for people hustling various methods. The psychologically hungy are quite easily swayed because of their needs. The promise of quick and easy results with the latest cutting edge techniques and the promise of "do nothingism".
What are the giveaway clues that someone's hustling air castles? What are the common loaded words? Astounding far-fetched stories of discovery? Claims for clinical proof. Testimonials by stars and "authors" who appear on everybody's dust jackets with numbing frequency. What are the other hype tricks?"

Bernard some of the hype ads I've seen in mailings and on websites are a howl. It's a bit surprising when people actually believe some of the nonsense showing up in advertsing. I can understand young persons, who haven't had much life experience, getting snookered. Older adults getting drawn in by these ads, must lack psychological savvy or are so hungry for change they have blinders on. Many of the ads appeal to folk's frustration intolerance with the promise of quick and easy change. If someone is seriously changing beliefs, behavioral patterns, and emotional responses, that hold up and are not settling for quickee and temporary feel good moments that fade when the issues climb back through the window, they have to do some work. They have to have some set times and follow through. Sometimes they may feel discomfort. Aspects may take their sweet time changing. New patterns of behavior have to be practiced and cognitive dissonance has to be passed through.

What's ashame is that hype ads help create inflated expectations. Some folks are expecting quick, easy, and effortless changes and when none are forthcoming, they give up on marginally effective methods. A few of the hyped processes actually may provide marginal gains if you plug away at them. Some are outright bunk. What's more a problem is that once someone's been chumped, they may become skeptical of all processes and may toss in the towel on helping themselves.

There are useful and effective self-help processes out there which don't use hype promises and wild claims in their promotional material.

Okay what are the tell-tale signs of hype and flat out bs? Here's the signs:

*The discoverer has drammatically discovered their miraculous technique and tells an incredible "story" about how they came by it. The fellow:

-Sat at the feet of monks and holymen.
-Was on the verge of death when the secret revealed itself.
-Got the secret passed on by some noble soul on their deathbed. (Hey if old Houdini could pass deathbed secrets, why not?)
-Received a revelation while being inmate in a mad house.
-Talked to Buddha, Jesus, and angels.
-Came as an intuitive flash while in the "Mind Lab".
-Or any of the other screwball stories.

Often the developer was a self-proclaimed:

-World explorer.
-Scientist.
-Self-made millionaire (Hey and enlightened too).
-Man of goodwill.
-Enlightened at 10 years old.
-A living success story and a testament to the divine spirit.
-Member of the National Geographic Society (A trial subscription)
-Studied with Madam Curie and Jonas Saulk while in his teens (They just happened to notice Little Joe's budding genius)

Folks if the story sounds like bs, step back and sniff. It probably is.

*Common loaded words/phrases in hype ad copy. Typical ones:

-Validated and Proven effective (I haven't seen one yet that passes scientific muster. Either research is done inhouse (conflict of interest), the sample was far too small to be considered scientific, it appeared in no peer reviewed journals, or the socalled research was unrelated to the claims being made for the technique.)
-Quick, easy, and effortless. (Right).
-Cutting edge--Miraculous changes--Life changing.
-5 millionaires in 6 months. (It's also a spiritual technique)
-Money back Guarantee (Sounds good, but the fact is the majority of folks will let the stuff gather dust in closets and never return it. Most people don't return stuff. They take the hit.)
-What monks have tried to do for years...
-Drammatically improve relationships.
-The most powerful and drammatic human potential tool the Earth has ever seen.
-Nostradamous sensed the coming age of light when OUR mind tools would be in the hands of all mankind.
-Get the financial security you've always desired--easy and effortlessly. (A technique endorsed by Willie Sutton)
-Total weight loss--Wipe out insomnia--Superb and radiant health.
-Pimples be gone!
-Peace, security, love, success, & spiritual awareness beyond your wildest dreams.
-Top secret technique.
-Instantly dissolves self-defeat painlessly and effortlessly.
-Revolutionary (In reality the same technique has been in existance for 2000 years)
-Used by leaders and top execs in Fourtune 500 companies. (They chumped an executive or two at a seminar and found out where they were employed. Maybe the guy was a mailroom clerk at Smith-Barney)
-The ultimate truth revealed. (You can buy the special report for Fifty bucks or get it free when you buy the BIG PACKAGE)
-You WILL be a millionaire and become enlightened.
-The answer--What you've always been seeking--True happiness! (All the time too just like the manic who discovered the secret)
-Magical transformation. (Let's hope you don't turn into a toadstool)
-Used by top businessmen and celebrities (Like these folks are paragons of emotional health and good relationships).
-Accelerate learning, intelligence, intuition. (Now you can spot a con job)
-Stimulate neural pathways. (Maybe this means you learned from getting chumped)
-Quantum leap.
-Increased longevity. Set your timepiece back 40 years!
-Provides the benefits of meditation at previously unheard of speeds.
-Jump start your IQ.
-Unresolved emotions gassed at the deepest level.

Does the above sound like wild and unproven claims? Outrageous in appearence to the semi-sane, but to someone unsophisticated and needy this bait works even though the technique or gizmo often doesn't.

* Pseudo Scientific Name Dropping. Another favorite sleight of hand is the use of "pseudo scientific name dropping". Some cheezy CD and tape outfits pimp their wares to the unknowledgeable by glibbly dropping scientific names and socalled research in their ad copy. Someone who's unknowledgeable in this area swallows the bait. Look out for the heavy use of scientific sounding words and biofeedback terms. The citing of semi-related or completely unreleated research in their ad copy. Two companies, I'm familiar with, regularly quote the discredited inhouse research done by a mantra hustling organization.

*Linking their product to spirituality. Another popular ad copy method is to use positive words like: "spirituality" or "enlightenment". How much of a spiritual connection does a company have if it's using the fine art of deception and hype to hustle its products? Think about those companies that push wealth building, perfect relationships, and total oneness is the same breath.

*Hustling methods to decieve, manipulate, or seduce others. Put your thinking caps on. Stop--take a deep breath. How ethical is any company or individual who would willingly sell you information on how to deceive, manipulate, or seduce someone? If their ethical values or lack of them permit them to sell such information, how ethically are they going to treat you? How much of what they're selling is raw untrampled bullshit? Yo.

** From a previous response about testimonial advertising now in our archives** Them old devil testimonials. What's the challenge with them? Let us count the ways:

*Testimonials are viewed by critically thinking and intelligent folks as forms of deceptive advertising. Businesses possess bottom lines and people who wish to make a profit. They feel a need to slant their advertising to push their products. Testimonials are ALWAYS manipulated.

*How many companies out there, with profit margins or a hunger for bucks, are going to place their complaint department letters in their advertising? You'll only see the glowing endorsements. (Some gathered when trainees endorphined up at group trainings or purchased from author and celebrity agencies. Authors and celebrities sell their endorsements just like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. You've seen the same tired names on the dust jackets of hundreds of books).

*Testimonials are deceptive by their nature. They are information control. Most intelligent people see them as meaningless fluff. They ignore testimonials because they understand their nature. They're used to try to sell you something.

*Testimonials may be repositories for hype and inflated claims. Hype and inflated claims may have short-term benefits for the business, but in the long run word gets around that what they're hustling is bs.

*A very important thing about hype and inflated claims is that if you're in the business of pushing hyped growth techniques your customers can get really high expections. If these high expectations fail to be met, folks may get very pissed off, feel guilty about not "getting it", or maybe even depressed about their failure to "get it". It also sets up magical expectations that the learning will come effortlessly with little or no work. People may quit what they're doing when they don't experience immediate gratification.

*Testimonials may be "bought". In the book industry it's well known that certain authors and experts regularly sell their testimonials. There's agencies that handle endorsements and testimonials. Many readers are hip to this when they keep seeing the same group of name authors showing up time and again on the dust jackets of so many books. There's some concern among readers that Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer may go blind from so much "reading". On a similar note in the world of sports and sneakers some highschool basketball kid just got 90 million bucks for endorsing sneaks. Think he won't wear them and smile at their name?

*Some testimonials are nothing more than pasted up faces and ad copy, the constructions of a well paid ad agency.

*There are numerous training organizations notorious for grabbing exuberantly glowing and "life changing" testimonials from their newly minted and highly endorphined trainees fresh from running long hours of techniques and being in a "loving" and "ra ra" atmosphere. These are those classics like: "My life changed forever." "The greatest six days of my life--totally AMAZING." "I too was skeptical until I saw the face of Konga and knew the greatest love of all. I chased enlightenment in all the wrong places. I tried Buddhism, dowsing, necromancy--none of it worked. Then I found MISHASIMEO. The answer was mine. In humble gratitude and total love, Idi Amin." You know the riff. B capital S.

Life is filled with learnings.

Take care, Steve