The Best in Branding and PR: Little White Product Lies

A successful branding strategy takes into consideration the target audience, your value proposition and how to best convert a customer into a sale.

Easier said than done of course, but when done right, consumers are not only sold, but they may even apply a willing suspension of disbelief for the product’s story.

And, if we don’t see these products as they are normally are packaged and marketed to us, we certainly wouldn’t react well. Are these companies lying or do we just love to believe? Either way, we could only hope to brand and market this well…

Food Lies We Love to Believe

Baby Carrots

…are pretty much a fraud. But, you knew that, right?

We buy them because you don’t have to peel them like regular carrots and they’re a healthy snack. You’ll catch me having some baby carrots dipped in ranch during the workday.

Froot Loops

…all have the same flavor. First of all, the product is actually spelled “Froot Loops” not “Fruit Loops”. Mind blown. And, though having red, orange, yellow, blue, purple and green colored loops, all colors have exactly the same flavor.

This is contrary to the popular belief that was first instilled in me as a kid when Jesse from Full House apologized to Joey by making him a dessert without yellow Froot Loops because he didn’t like them.

Orange Soda

…and pretty much most fruit-flavored sodas don’t contain any fruit. No surprise here. Grape soda isn’t naturally purple and doesn’t contain grapes. Orange soda isn’t naturally orange and normally does’t contain actual oranges. Still, taking away the dye doesn’t seem to sell for consumers trained to relate color to taste and smell. For example, Pepsi’s clear “Crystal Pepsi” tanked after just about a year on shelves.

Speaking of oranges…

Oranges

… aren’t actually naturally orange. They turn orange when exposed to cool temperatures and stay green when in their natural warmer habitats. However, because we expect them to be orange, they are often scrubbed, waxed, dyed or exposed to ethylene to give them the color we know and love.

Packaged American Cheese Slices

… cannot actually be called cheese. The product is referred to as a “pasteurized processed cheese product” because it doesn’t meet the moisture and/or milkfat standards required to be a pasteurized process cheese food or spread.* (i.e. less than 51% of it is actually cheese)

And, of course, there’s many more. In spite of these little white lies, people still purchase these products. Why? Perhaps, we really do perceive it as reality. Or, perhaps it’s a willing suspension of disbelief. Likely it’s coming from a company or product with such a good branding and PR strategy that we overlook it because we trust the brand.

What’s the most shocking fact you’ve learned about a product you use regularly? Tell us below!