Why health and beauty companies are telling us we'd be just fine without buying a thing NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE By,Sarah Kliff.
Few companies are working on their campaigns that allow for the relationship with the customers to flow both ways: the advertiser tells them how to prevent a headache or increases their self esteem—so the consumers do something nice for the advertiser—buy the product.
So Let's check out some of the products that are working on their "reverse Marketology." these days.
Weight Watchers
"Diets are mean," say the ads in their new "Stop Dieting. Start Living" campaign. But isn't Weight Watchers a diet plan?
Dove, Johnson & Johnsons have been adorning their Web sites and print ads with health advice and self-esteem affirmations, but not so much about why you need their product. Have they forgotten the bottom line? No. What they're doing is banking on the idea that they can win customers with flattery and lots of helpful information.
Tylenol
has also gotten altruistic, with print advertisements offering friendly advice on how to avoid aches and pains that might prompt people to perhaps buy their product. "Sit up straight. Slouching can cause headaches," one slogan advises.
Usually Beauty and health ads work in 2 basic models: 1.Frighten them, (bandwagon) that if they don't use it they might be in danger or something. Or, 2.Show them a bombshell that they can become when they use their product.
But some of these ads are telling you why you don't need their product.
AWKWARD as it seems.
Then there's the uncomfortable fact that Dove's parent company, Unilever, also owns Slim-Fast, marketer of "the hunger control shake," a product whose ads show women saying, "Goodbye roll, hello control!" So much for embracing those curves.
Are these Contradicting ads so helpful? Well the statistics says some sales went up by using these types of ads however, not so much, but they certainly say they were in the "spotlight" (catching many people's attentions).
Would I buy their product? Ofcourse I would, but I would careless about their helpful tips because they are just incredulous to me. I am very crtical when it comes to those kind of "Marketing strategies" and when I can really see what they are trying to do to me? I careless..
So I guess that is what "reverse marketology" is all about.
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