How not to establish credibility

Quick word to the wise - if you're the sales representative of a major supply company, and you're trying to sell a nutrient to a manufacturer, putting together a customised presentation brochure is a lovely touch. I appreciate it.

However, do realise that I'll also read it, and therefore trying to show that your product has been widely reported in international news by including an article on how laughter helps your stomach muscles may not win my respect. Even if you do go through and use a dodgy Powerpoint red circle to emphasis it, I'm still likely to notice that it has nothing at all to do with the product you're trying to sell me - or any other natural supplement, for that matter!

It doesn't matter how many printouts of my company's website you include and splatter with comments on how well the ingredient matches our identity. And including a screendump of a pubmed search with a few animal studies does not prove your ingredient is well researched. Sorry.

I'm still going to conclude that either you're a moron, or you think I am. Neither are likely to inspire me with an overwhelming belief in you or your product.

It does give my stomach muscles a good workout, though.

Truth in advertising

Quote of the morning was waiting for me in my inbox today - it's always nice to start your work week with a giggle at some unlooked-for honesty from a manufacturer.

NutraIngredients, a daily newletter for the complementary medicines industry, has a quote from Dr Miquel Mir, product applications manager for Croda Health Care, who are launching a new fish oil supplement. This supplement contains measured levels of the normal EPA and DHA, as you'd expect, but it also touts the benefits of the intermediary omega-3 fatty acid DPA (docosopentanoeic acid, for the curious).

Dr Mir leads off the article talking about his shiny new product. His take on it?

DPA has been "wholly overrated".

I'm finding it refreshing to see such honesty in a product manufacturer. It's very nice when they're willing to state up front that an ingredient is unlikely to live up to the (usually excessive) hype. Of course, there'll probably be a correction in tomorrow's email, but until then, I'm somewhat sardonically basking in the heady glow of realistic claims.

For the curious, or the disbelieving, you can read the article here. And in case anyone is suddenly convinced about the benefits of DPA, it does actually look quite interesting. Bear in mind that it's going to be in just about every fish oil supplement you can buy (in Australia, anyway - America is a little different in that they can sell the isolated EPA and DHA on their own); these guys are just the first to bother talking about it.

Truth in marketing

Another raised eyebrow at marketing today. Yes, yes, it's not research. Unfortunately, I've been too busy actually reading and trying to apply it for work to have time to properly sit down and share the juicier bits with y'all.

Instead, I'd like to share my utter disbelief.

I've been looking vaguely around for a wheelchair, lately, since my therapists have started looking shifty and avoiding questions when I ask about them. And I came across the Karma Transit. That's right, there's a brand of wheelchair called the 'Karma Transit'.

I've been amusing myself by making up slogans for them - my favourite is still:


"Karma Transit... because it's all your fault."

Then I found their website. That's right, there's a whole range of karma wheels! They give their slogan as "Nurturing outstanding partners, manufacturing excellent products, providing superior services, and creating the brightest future".

I like mine better. It seems somehow more honest.

If I do end up in one, I'm attaching prayer flags to each wheel.

I've been both busy and unusually crippled lately - you'd think the crippled part at least would lead to more blog posts, wouldn't you!

But no, it actually leads to me lying on the sofa and occasionally whimpering pathetically to Mr Flower to get me something out of reach, usually while playing far too much Final Fantasy.

Now that I'm comparatively back on my feet, though, we're back to blogging!

Or at least to pointing out other people's blogs.

Today's entry is actually a link to the fabulous Cognitive Daily, who are discussing How Not to Write a Science Book. They've come up with a very handy numbered list of all the things you really shouldn't do if you want anyone to take you seriously. In my job, I don't usually have to read pop-sci for anything other than general information, but I've still come across my share of biased, poorly researched, and sensational pieces of crap. It's nice to see someone else pointing out the things that irritate the living crap out of me as well!

One thing I'd add to their list of pet hates is 'Plummet writing'. I'm sure you know the type - my descriptor comes from watching too many aeroplane disastershows where the plane 'plummets from the sky in a spiralling shower of death!'. Too often, in the alternative medicine field, I end up reading 'scientific' books about how X nutrient is NECESSARY FOR ALL LIFE, or will CURE ALL DISEASES, or worse, MEDICINE IS KILLING YOUR CHILD.

I'm not fond of sensationalism at the best of times, and I despise fear-mongering, so you can well imagine my opinion of these.

*grins* Anyone who can't, comment, and I'll treat you to the extended rant sometime.

Marketing. Making mountains out of molehills, and 'eating solutions' out of food

Quote of the day comes from an online 'magazine' I read this morning. It's not research, per se, just a particularly egregrious example of marketing-speak. It made me wave my hands incoherently, though, before emailing a couple of friends with some choice descriptors and ranting, so I'll share with y'all as well.

'cause, after all, ranting at empty pontifications is one of the things stealthflowers do best. Or most frequently, anyway.

The magazine is a functional foods publication, and they interviewed the maker of a brand of 'raw food' bars. She says:

'The American consumer is always looking for the next solution in terms of eating'.

...

The last time I looked, the best 'solution' for eating was to chew.

Preferably on healthy food, in amounts that are good for your body.

Since when has the idea of something so basic as digestion been conceptualised to the point that we need 'eating solutions'?? Come on, people! There are no 'eating solutions'. There's food!

If you are disempowered enough that you think that someone else is going to have a solution for your life that comes in a food bar, well, welcome to disillusionment. Food manufacturers can't make your health choices for you. And they won't. What they will do is package things up as attractively as possible, no matter what the contents, and leave you to flounder in the morass of conflicting half-stated claims.

Note: I am not in the least suggesting that this particular manufacturer is doing anything even vaguely questionable. I've never seen, nor eaten the bars in question, as I don't think they're available here in Aus-land. Looking at the ingredients, they sound pretty good for you.

However, they aren't an 'eating solution'. They're a food. Get over it.