When it comes to marketing and advertising, it’s easy to get caught up in exaggerations and overstatements that don’t always represent reality. That’s why it’s important to understand the concept of puffery, what it is, and how it applies to your business.
What Is Puffery?
In essence, puffery is when a business exaggerates its products, services, or capabilities in order to create a sense of superiority over competitors. It is an exaggerated promotional tactic that can be used by companies to create a more appealing image of their offering. While it is not typically considered actionable defamation or false advertising, it can still give potential customers a false impression of a product or service.
Examples of Puffery
To better understand puffery, it can be helpful to look at some examples. Let’s say a company advertises its product as “the best in the world.” This statement likely gives the impression that the product is superior to all of its competitors, however this may not necessarily be the case.
Additionally, using words like “luxurious” or “luxury” to describe a product or service can be considered puffery. Companies often use these terms to make their products or services appear more desirable than their competitors. Puffery can also include phrases like “the most advanced technology,” “the perfect solution,” or “the ultimate experience.”
Is Puffery Legal?
Yes, puffery is typically considered legal as long as it does not contain false or misleading claims. Since the exaggerations used in puffery are not typically capable of being proved true or false, companies are generally allowed to use it in their marketing campaigns. However, businesses should still be careful not to use statements that could be interpreted as false advertising or that could be considered actionable defamation.
The Bottom Line
Puffery is an exaggerated promotional tactic used by companies to create a more appealing image of their offering. It is typically legal, as long as it does not contain any false or misleading claims that could be interpreted as actionable defamation. Businesses should take care to ensure that their marketing campaigns don’t give potential customers a false impression of a product or service, either through puffery or other means.