On June 2, at the third session, the Hanoi City People's Council passed a Resolution stipulating the level of fines for a number of administrative violations in the field of culture and advertising in the city.
It is noteworthy that in the future, advertising acts that use the words "first", "only", "best", "number one" or words of similar meaning without legal documents proving it according to regulations will be fined from 20 - 40 million VND.
This is a penalty regulation aimed at first of all, bringing the truth back to its rightful place in advertising activities.
For many years, consumers have been too familiar with absolute introductions, if not to say "arrogant" in advertising behaviors in most fields.
From functional foods, cosmetics, milk, medicines, hospitals, courses to tourism services, real estate..., everywhere you see "number one", "top line", "best", "unique".
Of course, when everyone is "number one", then in the end no one is really number one.
But what is even more noteworthy is that many of those statements do not come with any basis.
Consumers are forced to receive information in a vague state, difficult to distinguish between real data and just exaggerated advertisements.
This situation where everyone is "first" has many causes, partly due to lax advertising management responsibility.
This leads to many functional food products being advertised as medicine.
Many types of milk are introduced with uses that go far beyond their actual value.
Many celebrities and influential people on social networks participate in promotion with strong statements but lack scientific basis.
Therefore, it is very necessary for Hanoi to severely punish advertisements that claim to be "first", "number one", "best" without being proven.
This regulation does not prohibit businesses from affirming product quality. On the contrary, it creates a fairer playing field for serious businesses.
If you are truly leading the market, prove it with market share data. If you are truly the most chosen by consumers, prove it with an independent survey.
If you actually own proprietary technology, prove it with protection documents or related legal documents.
The larger the title, the clearer and more transparent the responsibility to prove it must be.
More importantly, Hanoi's regulations also send a very noteworthy message in current management: The State not only handles counterfeit and poor quality goods but also handles information that may distort consumer perceptions.
In economics, information is also a commodity. Untruthful information can cause losses no less than a substandard product.
Consumers have the right to access accurate information before deciding to spend money to buy a product or service. And if someone is "first" or second, it is best to let consumers evaluate themselves.
