What's So Special, Anyway?

Marketers know what you are looking for and how to make you think that they are the only ones able to give it to you in a way that is attainable. Products that promise weight-loss are prime examples - especially for women.

Other key categories are those that promise to be

QUICK

CONVENIENT

HEALTHY

In the Special K TV ad above, the idea is that your body can be "worthy" to be seen, as long as you are the "right" weight/shape (so, if not, by all means clutch that cover-up for dear life, right???). The way to attain the "right" weight/shape is to take the Special K challenge. That way, you can "lose the cover-up and show off your confidence."

Confidence = weight-loss

Sounds promising, right? The current marketing pitch is that women can lose up to 6 pounds in 2 weeks, IF they replace 2 meals per day with Special K (or, conveniently, other Special K products like waffles, fruit crisps, protein shakes, or crackers), and then eat one fairly regimented meal (as outlined on their website). Also interesting to note is the dominant color with Special K - it's present throughout most of their advertisements, as well as the color of their logo. Whether we are aware of it or not, red is equated with energy. It increases heart-rate and creates a sense of urgency (see previous post on how color evokes particular responses in people). Getting caught without your cover-up, unprepared, in a public place IS urgent, isn't it?

It's also interesting to note that the other women on the beach are dressed in lose-fitting, dull-colored clothing and one's wearing a floppy hat.

NEWSFLASH:  there's nothing magical about Special K. Research the details of any promises/claims made on the front of the packaging (ie: "Drop a jeans-size in 2 weeks," "Lose an inch in 2 weeks," etc.), then read the nutrition information label to compare the product in question with other similar products - in this case other cereals, waffles, bars - to compare serving sizes/weight and nutrients. Odds are good that you could accomplish the same effects eating a cheaper cereal (like a less "flashy" brand, or a generic one), if a cereal-diet is what you're in the market for (although, there are much more satisfying and healthy ways to lose weight).

Trying to control your appetite? One of the MOST important pieces of information on a nutrition information label, when deciding on which processed food to purchase is the comparison between grams of fiber and grams of sugar. FIBER is what helps to curb your appetite. FIBER is what takes longer for your digestive system to deconstruct and process, creating a longer lag time between your current hunger and how soon you'll be hungry again after eating a particular food. Conversely, SUGAR is what primes your digestive system, activating your insulin levels. When there's not much accompanying fiber in a food, your digestive system will work through it like a kid working a simplified Rubik's Cube, rather than taking hours to "solve," it may take a few minutes to an hour, leaving the kid bored (or in your digestive system's case hungry) and wanting something else to work on.

In the Special K cereal above, there are 9 grams of sugar (coming from THREE different sources) and only 3 grams of fiber. You should always aim for MORE grams of FIBER than grams of SUGAR, or at the very least, equal amounts.

The nutrition information label here is of Post Shredded Wheat Original. With 6 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar, this would be an awesome alternative to the Special K. So why doesn't Post Shredded Wheat have a catchy diet campaign? Probably too pricy, and it may not appeal to their targeted demographic...

Special K Image from: http://www.specialk.com/cereals/vanilla-almond/

Post Shredded Wheat Image from: http://www.soap.com/p/post-shredded-wheat-original-164-oz-2-pack-218620