Video Case Study

Running Head: Video Case Study

Video Case Study

Course: MGMT- 520-11534 Legal, Political, Ethical Dimensions of Business
Date Submitted: February 15, 2016

Video Case Study

1). According to the video, Coca Cola advertises that Vitamin Water will give people
protection similar to exercise or flu shots. Discuss whether this is deceptive advertising or
mere promotion.
Answer:
If Vitamin water were accurately named, it would actually be called Sugar water. Its first
two ingredients are, not surprisingly, sugar and water (the sugar coming in the form of crystalline
fructose, a processed sweetener that has been linked to health problems). In addition to the sugar
and water, Vitamin water contains a smattering of synthetic vitamin chemicals that any informed
health consumer probably wouldn't want to ingest. So in reality, Vitamin water is really sugar
water with the addition of synthetic chemicals that happen to be called "vitamins" (but which are
not the natural, plant-based nutrients your body would greatly prefer).
In my point of view its totally deceptive advertising because corporations use
advertisements to lie to consumers. And virtually no one in the history of corporate advertising
has mastered the art of deception better than Coca-Cola -- a company whose products have
contributed to untold numbers of diabetes victims while being positioned as cool, hip drinks that
make you feel energized or inspired.
Coca-Cola isn't really in the business of selling beverages, you see. It's in the business of
selling the illusion of happiness in a bottle or a can. Buy their products, say the advertisements,
and you too can feel happiness (or freedom, or sexiness or whatever). But what Coca-Cola
delivers isn't really happiness at all: Many of Coke's products deliver the liquid sugars, artificial
chemical sweeteners and bone-dissolving acids (like phosphoric acid) that promote disease and
suffering. And no reasonable person would equate degenerative disease with happiness. Speaking

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of disease, how much sugar is actually in Vitamin water? A lot more than you might think: While
the label claims only 13 grams of sugar per serving, one bottle of vitamin water is actually 2.5
servings, meaning that you're chugging down 32 grams of liquid sugars with every bottle.
There is no such thing that takes vitamin water or gets flu shots, if people drink vitamin
water and think they do not need flu shots then nobody will be sick in the winter. People will
only drink water and then feel better because a lot of people and kids drink vitamin water and
they still catch cold, flu etc.
2). Vitamin Water responds to the claim by stating that the ingredients are clearly on the
label. Discuss whether manufacturers have any duty to warn the public about their
products or whether the law should adopt the idea of buyer beware so that consumers
read the labels.
Answer:
When individuals are harmed by an unsafe product, they may have a Cause of Action
against the persons who designed, manufactured, sold, or furnished that product. In the United
States, some consumers have hailed the rapid growth of product liability litigation as an effective
tool for Consumer Protection. The law has changed from caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware")
to Strict Liability for manufacturing defects that make a product unreasonably dangerous.
Manufacturers and others who distribute and sell goods argue that product liability verdicts have
enriched plaintiffs' attorneys and added to the cost of goods sold. Businesses have sought tort
reform from state legislatures and Congress in hopes of reducing damage awards that sometimes
reach millions of dollars.

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A manufacturer can be held liable for negligence if lack of reasonable care in the
production, design, or assembly of the manufacturer's product caused harm. For example, a
manufacturing company might be found negligent if its employees did not perform their work
properly or if management sanctioned improper procedures and an unsafe product was made.
Breach of warranty refers to the failure of a seller to fulfill the terms of a promise, claim, or
representation made concerning the quality or type of the product. The law assumes that a seller
gives certain warranties concerning goods that are sold and that he or she must stand behind
these assertions.
Misrepresentation in the advertising and sales promotion of a product refers to the
process of giving consumers false security about the safety of a particular product, ordinarily by
drawing attention away from the hazards of its use. An action lies in the intentional concealment
of potential hazards or in negligent misrepresentation. The key to recovery on the basis of
misrepresentation is the plaintiff's ability to prove that he relied upon the representations that
were made. Misrepresentation can be argued under a theory of breach of express warranty or a
theory of strict tort liability.
Why would manufacturer will say about its product that it might be harm or not good for
the people, if the manufacturer mention then they will lose their sale and the product will be
failed before enter in to the market. As a responsible manufacturer this is the primary duty of
every manufacturer who is going to produce this type of products in to the market they should
use the healthy ingredients not the artificial flavors which causes the serious diseases. In
addition, this is the primary duty of the government too that aware the people about the products
who causes the serious injuries, and they should have proper check and balance on the
companies who producing this type of products. This also the responsibility of the consumer too

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that whenever they buy a product they should read the labels and make sure about the ingredients
they use to make the product, because this is for their health and the matter of life too.
3). Near the end of the video clip, the health and medical editor states that washing hands
and drinking water will keep one healthier than most of the health products on the market.
Should Congress or the states be more assertive about regulating products based on health
issues or is that too much like big brother watching?
Answer:
Yes, congress and state should be more self confidence about regulating products which
are health based because its the matter of peoples lives and their healths and the government
should be act like the big brother. The government has to make new policies and standards about
health issues and regulate them to all the manufacturers who are producing the goods related to
food, beverages etc.
State has to keep eye on all the manufacturer very strictly, because manufacturers hasnt
rights to play with peoples lives through wrong and deceptive advertisement as coca cola is
doing with vitamin water. They have to make standards for them and make new policies for the
advertisement too. There should be no hidden contents in the advertisement and the ingredients
too; everything should on standards, according to law, and according to health standards.
The health and medical editor said in this video that washing hands and drinking water
will keep one healthier than most of the health products on the market which is true. Keep
washing hands when you eat it is safer then to eat from outside. We cannot trust on anyone about
health issues no matter what they have strong advertisement about their products and safety

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standards. If we keep wash our hands all the time it will be a positive effect on our healths. We
feel more safe and sound.

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Reference
Admas, M. (August, 2010). Vitamin water revealed as non-healthy beverage by Coca-Cola's
own lawyers (opinion). Retrieved on 2/14/2016 from
http://www.naturalnews.com/029425_vitaminwater_Coca-Cola.html
Product Liability. (n.d.) West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Retrieved
February 14, 2016 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/product+liability
Product Liability. (n.d.) Collins Dictionary of Law. (2006). Retrieved February 14 2016 from
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/product+liability