'Organic silver nano tech'
24/06/2008 08:20  - (SA)  

Want to know more? Answerit can help.

Chris Moerdyk

In spite of what a lot of market research shows, I'm not sure that consumers, particularly here in South Africa, are any less gullible and apathetic than they were in the 1950's when they believed anything and everything advertisers tossed at them.

There are all sorts of clues. For starters, some research showing that the vast majority of consumers in South Africa still trust sales people in shops in spite of the widespread use of backhanders and bribery by distributors and manufacturers trying to get salesmen to flog their product instead of someone else's.

And when it comes to advertising, things have moved beyond the old "New Improved" ploy although the majority of South Africans still swallow that line.

Every product under the sun is now anti-bacterial, so much so that if you believe the ads you would get the distinct impression that the entire world we live in so infested with germs that we're almost guaranteed to get a life-threatening disease once a month by just brushing casually past someone in a shopping centre or patting our favourite puppy. Heaven forbid trying to prepare food in a kitchen that hasn't been nuked of every germ known to mankind.

In fact, that whole anti-bacterial thing has got so out of hand a lot of scientists and medical people are advising parents to let their kids out in the garden every now and then to go and play in some good old fashioned muck just so they can build up some immunity.

Nothing like scaring the hell out of the consumer to flog products.

We deserve it

But then, the consumer deserves what the consumer gets. In most South African cities right now the quality of water that comes out of the tap is as good as and in may cases better than anything you'll find that is bottled locally.

Yet consumers will forgo a free glass of tap water in a restaurant and rather pay R15 for something of lesser quality that comes out of a bottle.

We've even had some advertisers punting "organic water" for heaven's sake and it wasn't too long ago I spotted a sign outside a filling station offering "organic petrol"

Then came silver. First we had silver washing machines that actually couldn't stop at telling consumers that they were silver because this made them look good but went on to say that a silver coated washing machine made for more healthy family laundry.

Amazing, in more than five decades I have never got sick from wearing clothes washed by hand, later on in an old fashioned machine with chopped up Sunlight Soap or now our existing modern, non-silver machine.

Missing

What the heck has my body been missing? I have four children, I pass water regularly and ablute with remarkable timing and precision and can still hit a golf ball past 250 metres.

I would love to know what would have happened if I'd had a silver washing machine for the past 20 years. Would I have 10 children and have won the US Masters?

Silver is flavour of the month right now because it's gone beyond washing machines. I would not be surprised if we suddenly started finding silver in our corn flakes, toothpaste, anti-bacterial kitchen floor cleaner, underarm deodorant and lavatory paper.

Don't get me wrong I'm not criticising these people for using all these clever marketing ploys - if they work and don't hurt anybody why not - even if they are stretching the facts to breaking point.

But, I am just marvelling at the gullibility of consumers. May they never grow up.

Send your comments to Chris.

Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.

- News24

What is this? Yahoo Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Brought to you by OUTsurance Car Insurance
	News24 Headlines on your Facebook profile		News24 on mobile

• Most Read
• Most Commented
• Most Emailed

Skierlik shooter gets 169 years
Skierlik judge gets death threats
e=mc2: Einstein's proven right

Woman hid drugs in vagina
People living in a mortuary
Yengeni admitted driving drunk

Imagine a better Malema
Sinister end to Scorpions
Skierlik shooter gets 169 years

Paying political rally bills
'Expats should be able to vote'
'Too bad for cricket'

HIV tomato sauce a hoax
e=mc2: Einstein's proven right
'Expats should be able to vote'

Michael turns Muslim
Skierlik shooter gets 169 years
Imagine a better Malema