The term “licentious,” defined by Merriam-Webster as “lacking legal or moral restraints…marked by disregard for strict rules of correctness,” are running rampant in marketing, including labels – compromising customer service along the way.

This may sound somewhat similar to last month’s column. That’s because reports of marketing and messaging problems are growing rapidly, in tandem with product quality control issues themselves. This isn’t something that can be swept under the rug.

To wit, there’s a February report about false FDA claims – something all-too-familiar in the label world. Misleading and/or inaccurate label information does customers a huge disservice by providing flawed information. This leads to unrealistic expectations, can actually compromise health, and results in lack of confidence in the product.

Notes the report in phillyvoice.com, “Don’t let ‘FDA-approved’ or ‘patented’ in ads give you a false sense of security…Advertisers include these terms to instill confidence in buyers. But they often use them in misleading ways… Advertisers often misleadingly use the term ‘FDA-approved’ in an attempt to suggest supplements and beauty products are safe or effective, research shows…As a law professor, I suspect this is confusing for consumers, maybe even dangerous. Having a patent means only that you can stop others from making, using, selling or importing your invention. It doesn’t mean the invention works or that it won’t blow up in your face.”

The report continues, “Led astray by the label…I wanted to know whether companies exploit these sorts of misunderstandings, so I analyzed hundreds of ads from print, television, and social media that mention patents or FDA approval. I found that advertisers throw these terms around in confusing ways…At a time when ads are everywhere, and Americans are losing trust in institutions – and each other – the stakes for truthful product claims are high.”

Clearly, the dominance of lying, cheating, and stealing is growing, leaving consumers to fret about which products and companies they can trust, like, and respect. In a political and corporate environment, where increasingly lying, cheating, and stealing is pursued if it achieves desired aims – dominance and more money among them, inducements to knowingly dupe consumers are growing ever stronger. This level of customer disservice is intolerable but unfortunately mandates that consumers become ever more watchful and vigilant to verify correct and complete product information residing on labels and elsewhere.

Concurrent with deliberate licentious behavior is rampant stupidity and inattention to detail. I recently encountered a new kombucha product highly recommended by a friend. In reading the label, it states that there are 10 calories per can and 10 carbohydrates.

This is impossible. One carb gram contains four calories. Minimally, that would mean the can contains at least 40 calories. Or, the number of carbs listed is incorrect.

Initial enthusiasm about the product quickly wilted. I chose not to consume it, figuring that if the manufacturer is this sloppy about product contents, who knows what else they’re sloppy about – including product quality. I figure since we’re all inundated with toxins in much of what we consume in this country, why would I willingly consume something of dubious quality out of the gate?

This mindset is becoming more prevalent in the minds of consumers, and by extension is receiving more regular attention in social media and other reporting and reviews. In turn, reputation management – a huge factor in product manufacturer viability – gets called into question or is buoyed depending on information out there.

Ultimately, with the possible exception of product manufacturers deemed “too big to fail,” companies engaging in licentious marketing or sloppiness in the correctness of how their products are presented will find themselves going extinct.

At the same time, product manufacturers that are trustworthy, likeable, and deserving of respect will increasingly stand out as stellar performers, with all stakeholders, from customers to shareholders, benefiting in the long run.

Here are a couple ways product manufacturers can help ensure that label verbiage truthfully and accurately reflects the product itself:

1. Refresh and review. Periodically have fresh sets of eyes reread labels to confirm correctness. When the same person(s) looks at something too many times, the odds of missing something go way up. In the case of the aforementioned kombucha brand, apparently an eagle eye was introduced into the mix because I subsequently saw the product on the shelves with corrected information. Of course, the “eagle eye” could have been an astute consumer. At least they finally got it right!

2. Don’t make “clever claims.” For example, unless a product is actually FDA-approved, don’t use clever language to make it appear that it is. Now more than ever, consumers on social media and elsewhere are serving as “lie detectors,” calling out phony or dubious claims. Just tell the truth without questionable embellishment.

It’s time to replace “licentious” and “loosey-goosey” label content with rock-solid facts, figures, and claims.

Mark Lusky (www.markluskycommunications.com/mark-lusky-bio) is the president of Lusky Enterprises, Inc. (www.markluskycommunications.com), a 41-year-established marketing communications company dedicated to clients that live and breathe trust, likeability, and respect (thereby eschewing the “lie, cheat, steal” culture so prevalent today). Contact him at: 303-621-6136; [email protected].