Overview:
Do Finish Powerball Ultimate Dishwasher Tablets provide the “ultimate clean”? Even against competitors? NAD provides new guidance on “ultimate” claims.
Finishing Claim Substantiation
Reckitt Benckiser manufactures and produces Finish Ultimate Dishwasher Tablets. It claims these tablets will clean under the “toughest conditions,” and that they deliver the “ultimate clean,” even where dishes are not pre-rinsed. Procter and Gamble filed a challenge to the “ultimate clean” claim with the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau, arguing that “ultimate clean” is a comparative claim that sends the message to consumers that the product is superior to its competition. Comparative claims must be properly substantiated and backed by consumer research.
NAD Dishes its Decision
The NAD reviewed the ads for the tablets and concluded that there were three types of messages consumers may infer. First, it said that in the context of an online chart comparing different Finish products, reasonable consumers might infer that the “ultimate clean” referred to the best product in the line of Finish products. Second, in an ad where the “ultimate” claim appeared alongside an explanation of how the Finish CycleSync technology works, the NAD ruled that this ad was not comparative, as it was an explanation of how the product works. Third, when the “ultimate clean” claim appeared with language noting that the product was the only one on the market with CycleSync technology, the NAD ruled that consumers would infer a claim that the product was superior to every competitor. Thus, depending on the language and the context, the claim substantiation requirements would change.
Where Ultimate Claims Are Made, Context is Everything
Certain claims, such as the claim explaining the CycleSync technology, may not need to be substantiated. However, if an advertiser describes its technology as best in its class, for example, they would need claim substantiation surveys and tests to support that claim. The smallest differences in verbiage can have a big impact on consumer perception and how regulators view what is fair in claims.
Consumer surveys provide clear support for claims, and can also help regulators and courts understand how consumers interpret advertising and marketing messages. Whether you would like to understand the implications of certain language on packaging or on websites, properly conducted survey research can help protect your marketing dollars from costly challenges. MMR Strategy Group conducts reliable advertising claim substantiation research; contact us today to substantiate your claims.