As conned on TV

“We all want to be more than what we are.”
—Mister Lonely, an American movie

The heart and soul of television advertainment or what advertisers call infotainment (also, infomercial) can be summed up in these two famous lines from the American drama film.

Indeed, teleshopping is nothing but ‘wanna-be television’ because it relies on this simple assumption — nobody’s perfect (including Aamir Khan). A plump man wants to look like the one in the bio chart, a bald guy wants hair of Kurt Cobain, Mrs Neighbour (with half-a-dozen kids) wants size zero, teenagers (and Bobby Darling) want to bloat up, and Imran Hashmi wants to look good. So what do they all do? Order those ‘miraculous’ products advertised on tele-shopping networks and live happily ever after.

Teleshopping is a phenomenon that has become a part of the lives of Indian television viewers since early 2000. The phenomenon has not only survived but grown over all these years. Customers have been swamped with images of models showing off their fabulous flat abdomens, blemish-free skins, wondrous kitchen and household equipment, et al on almost every channel. Indeed, a great source of information — what your gym instructor couldn’t do in three years, a gadget can do in three hours — and also loads of entertainment — bikni-clad foreigners mouthing chaste Hindi. Can’t get any better!

Sadly, there’s a big blotch in this seemingly rosy picture. More often than not, most of these advertisements mislead people, who are deceived and tricked into buying something that’s too good to be true.

Now the first question that arises is do these so-called infotainments really qualify as advertisements?

Dhananjay Keskar, chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), says, “An advertisement is defined as a paid-for communication, addressed to the public or a section of it, the purpose of which is to influence the opinion or behaviour of those to whom it is addressed.”

The channels that show the advertisements are adequately paid, it’s addressed to the public and it does influence (mislead) the people. Obviously, these advertisers mislead by calling it ‘infotainment’ to start with. “They can be safely termed as advertisement and come under the ASCI code,” adds Keskar.

Secondly, are these commercial messages against the spirit of the ASCI code — the code that ensures the truthfulness and honesty of representations and claims made by advertisements to safeguard against misleading advertisements. The code clearly states that “advertising must be truthful and all descriptions, claims and comparisons which relate to matters of objectively ascertainable fact should be capable of substantiation.”

But, who will decide if the product shown or the implausible claims made in the advertisement are true?

“ASCI will cross-check the claims post substantiation, provided a cheated consumer files a complaint,” Keskar adds. Say, if you have bought a magic chopper-cum-muscle toner that promised would help you lose weight around your thighs while you chopped vegetables and realise that the gadget wouldn’t even peel onions then you can file a complaint with ASCI. “In fact, we have received a complaint against ‘Morning Walker’ by a disgruntled customer, and are looking into the matter,” Keskar said.

Analysts have always questioned the reliability of such products that claim to beautify and tone up the body in matter of days. They consider these infomercials a farce, which usually show common people using the product and endorsing its effectiveness to viewers.
Manas Mishra, executive VP, Mudra Connext, says, “Luckily, most consumers know these products are not governed by quality guidelines that branded products need to meet universally. Also, prices are lower and consumers sometimes buy the products fully aware that they may not be as durable and effective.”

So if the consumers are more than willing to fall into the traps laid by these teleshopping network despite being fully aware of the consequences then should these channels be held responsible and accountable for this farce or is it the consumers who should be blamed for being gullible and naïve.

In fact, Mishra claims no complaints have been made by any consumer thus far. “In my knowledge no consumer complaints have been made to the Consumer Forum or ASCI and hence no action might have been taken,” he adds.

However, the question of accountability does not end here and going by the ASCI Code, even channels that give television space to such cons are as much responsible. “The responsibility for the observance of this Code for Self-Regulation in Advertising lies with all who commission, create, place or publish any advertisement or assist in the creation or publishing of any advertisement. All advertisers, advertising agencies and media are expected not to commission, create, place or publish any advertisement which is in contravention of this Code,” the ASCI code states.

According to Keskar, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has made it mandatory for all cable networks/channels to adhere to the ASCI code. But, looking at the proliferation of teleshopping networks, it seems not many channels have taken the self-regulation bit seriously. (Shh! Not, many channels are willing to talk about it, either.)

So what do the innocent consumer do till the advertisers and channels wake up to the ASCI code of self-regulation?

a) Stop watching television. OR
b) Stop believing what’s told on television. OR
c) Mail your complaint to ASCI at asci@vsnl.com