Deceptive Marketing

Deceptive Marketing
Marketing is a well-known strategy that most, if not all, businesses use to create awareness of the products or services that they are offering to customers. Our textbook defines marketing as, “the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return” (Armstrong & Kotler, 2012, p. 5). However, some companies have taken advantage of its effectiveness to deceive customers. This paper will delve into the Whole Foods marketing deception.
Whole Foods Market (WFM) is one of the most popular food markets in the United States. As its name suggests, it is supposed to sell foods that have undergone little or no processing or refinement and have no added ingredients. The stores used to have a very large logo on the side of the building saying, “Nothing Artificial, Ever!” Perhaps this is one of the biggest factors that led to their popularity, because most people shop at Whole Foods Market because of the health benefits associated with them.
In October 2012, a controversial video was released exposing WFM. The video had evidence that WFM had been selling genetically modified (GM) foods to the public without their knowledge. The video shows customers who regularly shop at WFM that had been under the impression that the food there was completely organic. In an interview, they expressed their shock and dismay when they discovered that they had been buying genetically modified products (Adams, 2012).
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can certainly taste good, but we cannot forget that they can also have adverse health effects. A study carried out by a French Research Team illustrated some of these terrible outcomes of rats who were fed a lifetime of Monsanto’s GM corn. The rats in question grew massive cancer tumors, and the study