Half Truths Are Not Whole Truths

Whether it's Shell, AT&T, Facebook, or the Chinese government, the goal is the same. To persuade you when your guard is down. They know, and you know, that if the message were plastered with the word "ad" in big red letters, you'd ignore it. We would be remiss, however, if we didn't acknowledge that just because something's an ad doesn't mean it is false. Big companies are wary of ads backfiring. They fear the consequences of being outed as liars. But there are many forms of persuasion besides outright lying. An ad can tell only part of the story. It can leave out the broader context. It can ignore evidence that goes against the story the company wants to tell. It can emphasize some facts and de-emphasize others. It can use examples that tug at our heartstrings, even when those examples misrepresent general trends. A partial truth is often more dangerous and less easy to detect than a pack of lies. So, before fixating on the results of a new study, make sure you understand the broader context, that you have read the room, and that you resist the glow of the shiny new object until you've scoped out the territory and gotten the lay of the land.