In the first episode of Mad Men, which aired almost 20 years ago, Don Draper demonstrates his deviousness in a pitch to the Lucky Strike cigarette company. He argues that since all the companies make the same product, “we can say anything we want.” He then comes up with the tagline “It’s Toasted.” When an executive from Lucky Strike points out that all their competitors’ tobacco is also toasted, Don replies, “No. Everyone else’s tobacco is poisonous. Lucky Strikes are toasted.”
I can’t help but think of Don Draper when I encounter olive oil advertising that employs one of the following negative strategies, without offering a shred of evidence:
- Calling out other olive oils as rancid or stale
- Claiming that only single-origin or monovarietal olive oils can be trusted
- Suggesting that other olive oils are blended with other oils or not truly extra virgin
- Telling you that other olive oils are not healthy or pure
In fact, Ashley Rodriguez, managing editor of the coffee industry’s Fresh Cup Magazine, was struck by this too. She wrote an insightful observation about the olive oil industry after watching a video from America’s Test Kitchen (ATK). In the video, ATK executive editor Lisa McManusnotes how many new olive oil companies have entered the market, stating: “The dark side is that newcomers often work the angle that there’s something you can’t trust about traditional olive oil.”
Rodriguez calls out these tactics as a cautionary tale to her coffee industry readers, decrying such fear-based marketing through “predatory misinformation—sowing consumer distrust in the familiar and promising them something better in return.” When you brush aside the B.S. and look at the ultimate determination of quality–which for olive oil and coffee is taste–ATK found that many of these newcomers typically fail to deliver on their promise, topped by traditional brands.
When it comes to olive oil, however, predatory misinformation can materially harm consumers. Research conducted by the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) shows that consumers who are exposed to negative marketing like this become less likely to buy any olive oil, which means they end up using less healthy oils and fats instead, increasing the likelihood of negative health outcomes for them and their families. Since these false, disparaging messages often come from higher-priced olive oils, they disproportionately harm consumers with limited budgets who either can’t find or can’t afford these allegedly superior brands.
To protect these consumers from being misled particularly when it comes to their health, the NAOOA has in the past and will in the future continue to challenge false and misleading advertising. I always encourage consumers to buy the best olive they can afford. But the FDA has recognized that all olive oils are healthy without distinguishing between olive oils of different qualities, grades or price points.
That’s not to say all extra virgin olive oils are the same and that they should all be marketed the same way. There are plenty of positive attributes olive oil companies can rely on to differentiate themselves, such as the broad range of flavors, nuances in the way the olives have been cultivated and harvested, the manner in which the oil was extracted, and connections to specific lands where the olives were grown and to the people who made the oil. Or maybe it’s a product’s packaging innovations, sustainability, or brand identity that can set one olive oil apart from the others.
So, to the Don Drapers of the olive oil world, olive oil is not the same as cigarettes. There are plenty of ways to talk about what makes your olive oil–or indeed, all olive oil–special. Unfairly trashing other olive oils harms the industry as a whole. More importantly, it harms consumers trying to improve their diet, but who become confused by unsupported negative statements about olive oil they read and end up choosing less healthy fats and oils instead.
