We delve into the honesty of marketing following the recent scandal involving Volkswagen and SA’s advertising regulator.
Business Insider recently revealed that Volkswagen South Africa was accused of falsely advertising a ‘SPECIAL DEAL’ on one of their new Golf models. The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) stated that although Volkswagen did nothing illegal, the deal was immoral.
Considering Volkswagen South Africa spent R6.7 million on digital advertising alone, this advert is sure to have reached a large number of interested customers.
What Was the Deal?
Volkswagen South Africa advertised the Golf GTD SD model on their website for R528,700 for a limited time only. The catch was that no dealership actually stocked that model and ordering it would take about 3 months, longer than what the ‘limited time only’ deal ran for.
It was impossible to purchase the Volkswagen Golf GTD SD for R528,700. The ARB argued that advertising the deal was not illegal, however Volkswagen advertised it knowing that none of the dealerships had stock and the ordering process would render the deal pointless.
Volkswagen ensured themselves under the disclaimer ‘Limited to available stock’, ensuring they are legally covered. Volkswagen also stated that the deal featured zero additional optional extras.
This raises the question: Does Marketing Have to Be Honest?
As a digital marketing agency specialising in generating leads for customers, we deal with this situation daily. Much like other marketing agencies, our processes involve getting as much information as possible about the product when advertising.
Our information is, however, only as correct as the source we get it from. And as expected with large organisations, obtaining information under pressure or time constraints isn’t always easy. This leads to many opting to take the information received from the company as true.
This gap, this little moment during the exchanging of information, is vitally important for anyone looking to offer valued and correct advertising to a community.
The Resolution
Our teams have researched, developed, and tested various methods alongside some of our partners and clients. This enables us to work together with our clients and partners to always offer the most accurate and important aspects of marketing.
We call this process C.SPER (Consulting, Strategy,\ Production, Execution, and Reporting). Before we delve into any marketing strategy or campaign creation, we offer a consultation to customers. This allows us to learn about the brand, the offerings and develop a clear understanding of the organisation.
We also looked at our departments and found ways we could improve the exchange of information process. Our process includes doing our best to verify information given to us. These changes have affected how we do things in our departments.
Social Media Management
When we receive information about a product or service like the price, we connect with the dealers that operate in our targeted audiences and markets and inquire if they have the stock to meet consumer demands should we advertise the prices and products given to us. We also confirm what the waiting times are, how they ensure delivery, and some sort of guarantee.
This information helps us provide accurate information to communities, but it also helps us build more content around the offering.
Paid Social and AdWords Campaigns
The same principle applies with any of our partners running paid campaigns. We also frequently monitor the availability and delivery of what we advertise, ensuring dealers have sufficient supply and customers have products to purchase.
The Conclusion
Marketing is a process that involves constant change and input, so mistakes are bound to happen if there isn’t a clear communication structure and ownership in place between all the parties. Companies and advertisers should always carry the responsibility and duty of delivering honest and accurate marketing.
Sources: BusinessInsider; Statista
