Although ethics should always be the number one factor in human interactions, when it comes to money, other things come into play. Product and service marketing has reached a fever pitch, steadily increasing over the last few decades. The development of cable and satellite television, as well as the Internet, has really turned up the heat. Most advertising campaigns play fair, stick to the rules, and simply try to out-gun the competition. Some choose to take the low-road though, and slip in half truths and outright lies.

This is not a new phenomenon, snake oil salesmen have been around since the beginning of trade, always looking for an edge. However, like everything else, there seems to be more deception these days, maybe it is just more available, and therefore appears to be worse. Whatever the reasons, anytime a lie is told, there are wheels set in motion that tend to crush consumer confidence.

A good example of misleading advertising, one that I hear a lot of people complaining about these days, is the bold-print/fine-print switcheroo. You see a lot of this in service(cable, telephone, etc.)provider ads. The bold print will declare a service for $19.95 per month, while the fine print will explain they were pulling your leg a little, and after 3 months you will be obligated to pay $39.95 a month, subject to increase.

There is a well-known grocery chain in the southeast, famous for another deceptive advertising practice. Although not illegal, it is deception, plain and simple, and has cost them so much market share, their future is in doubt. This is a false "sale price" gimmick they advertise and employ. They mark up the "regular" price, and still overcharge via the sale price. They even give customers a plastic card that allows them to buy at the "sale price", giving unwitting shoppers the false impression of saving money.

The impact of these, and other shady practices is far reaching, affecting the economy, and creating monopolies. The last man standing makes the rules, and when their is just one game in town, we play by their rules. There is a trickle-down effect as well, when large corporations who employ tens of thousands drive their business into the ground. The innocent employees and stockholders pay the price for their greed, either in lost jobs, or reduced income.

So, ethics aside, there are far-reaching consequences to taking the low road in promoting products and services. The bottom-line has been given too much importance in the boardrooms, and the cutthroat atmosphere is at an all-time high. I don't see this trend reversing...for the love of money is all consuming.

Learn more about this author, Chris Con.
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