The Fake Organic Epidemic (& How to Combat It!)
Differences are good.
As I research the “organic products” market — looking for organic product companies who want to grow and market their business through unique written content — I am disturbed by the number of reports on “fake organic” products everywhere I turn.
In fact, the Cornucopia Institute has compiled a slew of reports over the years, detailing many of the ways that fake organic has infiltrated our food supply.
The whole purpose of labeling something as “organic” is to separate it from conventionally produced foods that are loaded with toxins and/or GMOs (genetically modified ingredients).
So when companies label their conventional foods as “organic” when they’re not even remotely close to organic…that’s pretty appalling. The more I read about it, the more pissed off I get.
Imagine how the average consumer feels, trying to weed through all the various companies. They want only the best, healthiest, purest products to feed themselves and their families…and little do they know they’re purchasing and eating fraudulent shit!
Who is truly organic? Which farmers, suppliers, and food producers are truly walking the talk — living, breathing, thinking, and demonstrating the organic ideal through the quality of their products?
…And who’s just weaseling their way into the organic market, simply because they want to “tap that ass” of organic and get some of the profits?
As an organic product producer, this “fake organic” epidemic can actually work in your favor, because you can talk about it in your anti-marketing content and campaigns.
In fact, you SHOULD talk about it!
Don’t just talk about your own purity, integrity, and wholesomeness (everybody does that) — but call out what’s blatantly false in your industry.
This is a great and little known way to ramp up your online sales.
Help your customers and potential customers distinguish fact from bullshit, as it pertains to your specific industry. Whatever kind of product you make, you can bet your ass there are hundreds of similar ones posing as “organic” in the marketplace. That should piss you off.
Use it as fodder for your content — including your sales page copy, email newsletter writing, promotional offers, sales funnels, and more.
Help customers gain the crucial awareness needed to steer clear of the “fake organic” epidemic, so they can choose better, healthier products.
One way to do this is through “contrast writing,” which is a type of writing I do for my clients.
It spells out the differences between something fake, and something real. (Oh, this makes for fun writing…and fun reading!) Contrast writing calls out the bullshit and highlights the Truth…and because it does this, it generates more sales for you online. People will be able to see that your product is truly healthier.
By using contrast writing as part of your anti-marketing strategy, you show people you’re not just another BS fake organic company trying to get some of the pie…you’re actually a legit supplier and ethical business owner who is motivated by a desire to produce PURE products.
In a sea of scammers…that’s valuable!
Contrast writing shows you’re one of the few companies out there who are doing the right thing — even though it may be more painstaking, more expensive, and more time-consuming than a cheap quick shortcut (which many of the fake organic companies are using).
By calling out some of these fake and/or toxic practices in your industry, you help customers get to the Truth.
Truth is extremely valuable and potentially life-saving for them. You’ll be rewarded with sales…and repeat sales.
Michelle Lopez is a writer, editor, and copywriter with a BA in English/Creative Writing from the University of Colorado at Boulder.