Dyson Inc has delivered a blow to San Francisco-based air purifier competitor Molekule Inc.
The UK-based vacuum cleaner goliath has complained to a US ad regulator that Molekule’s claims about the effectiveness of its MH1 Air Purifier are misleading.
Molekule’s MH1 products use a pre-filter and a PECO/Photo Electrochemical Oxidation filter.
Dyson’s air purifier products rely on HEPA/High Efficiency Particulate Air filters and carbon filters.
PO3/PuriflOH air purifier products will use FRG/Free Radical Generator technology.
PO3 says it's talking to one or more OEMs about incorporating FRG tech in their cabinetry.
Question: Is Dyson one of the OEMs?
If it is, the group’s attack on Molekule may be partly designed to help PO3.
If it isn’t, the attack may still help PO3 – mainly because the FRG will need to at least match Molekule’s PECO tech in the market place.
The dilemma for PO3 is that Dyson’s move on Molekule involves a staunch defence of Dyson’s HEPA tech.
While this HEPA tech has generated profits for Dyson and sundry rivals, it’s been belittled by PO3…and by Molekule.
PO3 reckons the FRG kicks HEPA butt, so to speak.
Even though Dyson is publicly pro-HEPA, informed observers note that air purifier companies can change tack by 180 degrees.
The Dyson/Molekule action is relevant to PuriflOH as it negotiates its way through technological and marketing shoals on the way to FRG commercialization.
The NAD/National Advertising Division of US regulatorNARB/National Advertising Review Board hasrecommended that Molekule discontinue its pollution, bio-aerosol and VOC/Volatile organic compounds elimination/destruction claims.
The Molekule claims challenged by Dyson were made in website, YouTube videos, social media, testimonials, and other online advertisements.
Dyson challenged four categories of Molekule’s pollution elimination claims:
(1) bio-aerosol elimination claims, such as claims that the MH1 product or the PECO technology, as deployed in the MH1 product, completely “eliminates,” “destroys,” or “permanently removes” all indoor air pollution or any specific bio-aerosol;
(2) quantified bio-aerosol elimination claims appearing in a panel on the molekule.com website showing a chart for each bio-aerosol, detailing the MH1 device’s performance, and showing that the specific bio=aerosol was completely eliminated (reduced to 0%);
(3) VOC elimination claims, including “Independent lab results have shown that PECO destroys VOCs quickly and efficiently” and
(4) claims regarding the MH1 device’s performance in large rooms, such as “Made for large rooms. Molekule is able to completely replace the air in a 600 square foot room (large living room) once an hour.”
NAD concluded the evidence provided by the advertiser was insufficiently reliable to provide a reasonable basis for its impactful pollution elimination performance/efficacy claims and recommends these claims be discontinued.
And it recommended Molekule avoid any language characterizing the use of HEPA air purifiers as “dangerous” or “deleterious to consumer health”.
In news just in, a panel of the National Advertising Review Board has determined that Molekule properly supported claims that the PECO technology filter of its MH1 Air Purifier can address bio-aerosol and VOC pollution.
The panel further found in favor of Molekule’s general efficacy claim that its “revolutionary nanotechnology destroys pollutants at the molecular level.”
However, NARB recommended that Molekule discontinue or modify certain non-quantified pollution elimination claims for its MH1 device, and discontinue the challenged comparative superiority claims versus air purifiers that contain HEPA filters.
PO3 Price at posting:
$2.15 Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)