MISLEADING SEALS AND AWARDS EXPOSED:
Paranoid Parents is against misleading advertising particularly in the area of children’s products.
Most ‘healthy’ seals of approval are not what the public perceive them to be.
The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval is simply an extended 2 year warranty and not a lab tested quality product as is perceived. The participating company promises to replace a product if it goes faulty in 2 years—valuable in the 1960s but not now with automatic warrentees.
Other seals are not what they seem. Companies who pay to sport the seal only have to agree to TRY to make healthier products over the next 20 years.
Most ‘best products’ awards Numerous awards and seals are marketing tools set up by advertising companies as a way to drive sales. They appear to be independent awards but are paid for by the manufacturers to the advertising company. You pay the advertising company for your product to win the award.
COMPETITION BUSINESS METHODS:
For most major seals, it is a three-step payment process:
1. The manufacturer first pays a fee to become an ‘Associate’
2. Being an Associate allows you to pay for advertising on the entity’s magazines or website.
3. After the Associate has paid for a certain level of advertising, they can then pay money per product to be tested for the Seal.
Underwriters’ Laboratory is an exception. The manufacturer pays a fee per product but the criteria are for electric operation and safety and is easily tested and quantified.
Minor seals and awards are chosen by boards whose members are never identified or often have no expertise in the area and never state their criteria of the award or seal.
The famous Oppenheimer Toy Award has nothing to do with the famous Oppenheimer Corporation but indirectly benefits from the name familiarity. The toy award is run by two sisters named Oppenheimer who are moms with MAs in Early Childhood Development. They test toys sent to them, rejecting age inappropriate toys and toys that break easily coming out of the box. Then they distribute their toys for testing (to their kids and friends’ kids) to see what they like best. They test however many toys they have time for or are sent to them. In the toy field, it is better than no testing, is not an advertising ploy, so, in 7 years has grown to have some value.
Best Product awards should be there to help the consumer and not as a marketing ploy. Check out what the award means before rushing to a purchase. This can be time better spent that phone app updates on toy recalls.
AWARD WINNING PRODUCT SERIES
Which processed foods are nutritious? Paranoid Parents Guide to navigating the inner shelves of the grocery store–Best Food Awards
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