Trust In Advertizing

Several years ago, the great Laura Ingraham wrote a book called "Shut Up and Sing". Essentially, she was letting celebrities like Barbra Streisand, Beyoncé, George Clooney and so many others know that we  love them as entertainers, but would  prefer if they kept their political opinions to themselves. As someone who believes in a "fairness and moderation always" philosophy, I am asking my Republican and Libertarian  celebrity friends like Fred Thompson, Kevin Sorbo and others to maintain that same self-control.

The reason I am writing this is the following: People who have no time to do the research for a product for themselves or who don't really understand it, rely on the credibility of the spokesperson.

When Fred Thompson or Henry Winkler speaks about a reverse mortgage, the audience to which it is directed is generally much older than the minimum age allowed (62) to buy such a product. When Rachael Ray addresses the young audience to purchase Obamacare, she has as much a responsibility to make certain that audience understands she is selling a product as much as Fred Thompson.

Both these entertainers are congenial and decent people as much as anyone else. But that is what they are. Entertainers. They are reading a script that someone else wrote for them. In all probability, they know as much as their audience does, maybe even less.

How about Samuel L Jackson? He is a great actor, very believable in his roles. Does he know about credit cards? No more, probably, than most people. Even I, as a

Cover of Samuel L. Jackson

retired banker, would make certain I read the fine print before signing onto a credit application of any sort.

During the last ninety days, the Obama Administration spent $52 million to advertise a product that over 60% of the American people don't approve. Much of that money went to Hollywood friends of the President to be spokespeople for a product which netted less than 1 million newly enrolled insured people.

The Administration is spiking the football  because they reached the "magic number" of 7 million new subscribers. But, honestly, many of those people were existing Medicaid customers, 6 million lost their plans and had to get something, and at least 20% have not yet paid for their first month's insurance premium. Just because it is in the cart, doesn't mean it was bought. Ask Amazon or FTD.

I implore you to not take the spokesperson as an authority for the product he or she is hawking. He is reading a script for a paycheck. Heck, she may not even believe in the product, but she needs to feed her family as much as you or me.

Finally, to the producers of these ads, it is really your responsibility to make certain that the viewer or listener understands that the spokesperson is getting paid and is not an expert in the product. "I am a paid, non-attorney spokesperson" is said clearly and concisely at the end of all ads for lawyers or law issues, like bankruptcy, mesothelioma or divorce ads. The same should be required in all ads, by the person who just spoke for the product.

This is why credibility in the spokesperson is so important. As I said, people don't have the time to do the research because we are so busy in our own lives. We have to rely on someone we can trust to be honest with us, and actually understand and believe in the product.

If they don't, they should have no business selling a business, as products really are. And then, as Laura Ingraham has said, they should just "Shut Up and Sing".