Too Good to Be True: Misleading Advertising of Cosmetics Products
Väisänen, Heli (2019)
2019
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019121626867
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019121626867
Tiivistelmä
The use of cosmetic products is increasing, as is the variety of products invented by cosmetics industry. The appreciation of beauty and pressure created by the society to look good increase demand, to which cosmetics companies gladly respond. As the products rarely sell themselves without any marketing efforts, advertising is required.
Advertising is subject to laws and regulations created to protect both consumers and companies, but regardless of them some advertisements do not comply with the rules and can be considered as misleading. Consumer protection laws also exist, with the purpose of guaranteeing fair practice in informing the consumer and responsibility in disputes.
This report is a study about misleading advertising of cosmetic products. The research problem was to find out about people’s experiences about the topic and their awareness about the laws related to it. A quantitative research conducted by a questionnaire to which 205 people responded is the foundation for the findings and conclusions. In-formation about the cosmetics industry, marketing and advertising and the legislation concerning the advertising of cosmetics is also presented.
The responses to the questionnaire indicated that people experience that they see misleading advertising often, and that social media and television are the major platforms of these kind of advertisements. Anti-age products were considered to be the most represented product category. Despite of the general opinion of the respondents, which indicated that they consider recognising misleading advertising from truthful one fairly well, the majority of the respondents had bought products which were inequivalent to the promises given in the advertisement. This had affected negatively their opinion towards the company, thus causing distrust or unwillingness to continue as a custom-er. Consumer Protection Act was familiar to the majority of the respondents. The respondents were divided into age groups, between which variation could be found in the responses to the questions.
Advertising is subject to laws and regulations created to protect both consumers and companies, but regardless of them some advertisements do not comply with the rules and can be considered as misleading. Consumer protection laws also exist, with the purpose of guaranteeing fair practice in informing the consumer and responsibility in disputes.
This report is a study about misleading advertising of cosmetic products. The research problem was to find out about people’s experiences about the topic and their awareness about the laws related to it. A quantitative research conducted by a questionnaire to which 205 people responded is the foundation for the findings and conclusions. In-formation about the cosmetics industry, marketing and advertising and the legislation concerning the advertising of cosmetics is also presented.
The responses to the questionnaire indicated that people experience that they see misleading advertising often, and that social media and television are the major platforms of these kind of advertisements. Anti-age products were considered to be the most represented product category. Despite of the general opinion of the respondents, which indicated that they consider recognising misleading advertising from truthful one fairly well, the majority of the respondents had bought products which were inequivalent to the promises given in the advertisement. This had affected negatively their opinion towards the company, thus causing distrust or unwillingness to continue as a custom-er. Consumer Protection Act was familiar to the majority of the respondents. The respondents were divided into age groups, between which variation could be found in the responses to the questions.