A false image of health: how fake news and pseudo-facts spread in the health and beauty industry
| Date | 08 August 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-12-2018-2180 |
| Pages | 168-179 |
| Published date | 08 August 2019 |
| Author | Anouk de Regt,Matteo Montecchi,Sarah Lord Ferguson |
| Subject Matter | Marketing |
A false image of health: how fake
news and pseudo-facts spread in the
health and beauty industry
Anouk de Regt and Matteo Montecchi
King’s Business School, King’s College, London, UK, and
Sarah Lord Ferguson
Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
Abstract
Purpose –Diffusion of fake news and pseudo-facts is becoming increasingly fast-paced and widespread, making it more difficult for the general
public to separate reliable information from misleading content. The purpose of this article is to provide a more advanced understanding of the
underlying processes that contribute to the spread of health- and beauty-related rumors and of the mechanisms that can mitigate the risks
associated with the diffusion of fake news.
Design/methodology/approach –By adopting denialism as a conceptual lens, this article introduces a framework that aims to expl ain the
mechanisms through which fake news and pseudo-facts propagate within the health and beauty industry. Three exemplary case studies situated
within the context of the health and beauty industry reveal the persuasiveness of these principles and shed light on the diff usion of false and
misleading information.
Findings –The following seven denialistic marketing tactics that contribute to diffusion of fake news can be identified: (1) promoting a socially
accepted image; (2) associating brands with a healthy lifestyle; (3) use of experts; (4) working with celebrity influencers; (5) selectively using and
omitting facts; (6) sponsoring research and pseudo-science; and (7)exploiting regulatory loopholes. Thr ough a better understanding of how fake
news spreads, brand managers can simultaneously improve the optics that surround their firms, promote sales organically and reinforce consumers ’
trust toward the brand.
Originality/value –Within the wider context of the health and beauty industry, this article sets to explore the mechanisms through which fake
news and pseudo-facts propagate and influence brands and consumers. The article offers several contributions not only to the emergent literature
on fake news but also to the wider marketing and consumer behavior literature.
Keywords Brand image, Fake news, Denialism, Brand protection, Brand safety, False advertising, Health and beauty advertising,
Information transparency
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
“Eat your Spinach; it’s high in Iron.”Most people have heard
something along these lines over the course of their lives,
perhaps a parent encouraging a child to eat their leafy
vegetables, a conversation among friends at the gym or at the
doctor’soffice for anyone who has been told that they are
anemic. However, the commonly held belief that spinach is
high in iron is not actually true. It is an exampleof a fake news
story that has been perpetuatedfor almost a century.
The association between spinach and high iron levels
resulted from a small reporting error (Larsson,1995). In 1870,
Erich von Wolf, a German chemist who was researching the
nutritional benefits of spinach,accidentally reported the wrong
number for the iron content (Rekdal, 2014).With the incorrect
placement of a decimal point, he increased the vegetable’s iron
level to 10 times the actual amount –from 3.5 grams of iron to
35 grams (Rekdal, 2014). The “fact”that spinach had a high
level of iron was quickly picked up by the creators of Popeye, a
cartoon character that ate spinach to gain extra strength.
Through Popeye, spinach was advertised as a superfood, a
strategy that saved spinach farmers from going under and
increased consumption of the vegetable by 33 per cent in the
1930s (Arbesman,2013).
The story of how spinach became associated with high iron
levels is a typical example of how false or misleading
information emerges and isdisseminated. In this case, a simple
mistake (the misplacement of a decimal point) greatly
influenced public perception. While the claims associated with
spinach resulted from a genuine mistake, several commercial
and non-commercial organizations purposely engage with
questionable tactics, such as selectively reporting facts,
exaggerating scientificfindings or engaging with borderline
(and in some cases misleading) advertising, to promote
Thecurrentissueandfulltextarchiveofthisjournalisavailableon
Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
29/2 (2020) 168–179
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-12-2018-2180]
Received 27 December 2018
Revised 6 June 2019
Accepted 28 June 2019
168
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