Deepak Batra explains the origins of the phrase Red Herring and how it is used as a strategy.
𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: A misleading clue or piece of information designed to distract, and divert attention away from the real issue.
The term became metaphorical in the early 19th century drawing on the learning that a strong smell of (smoked and salted red) Herring fish could be used to throw dogs off scent and send them in a wrong direction.
Most commonly found in crime fiction, the term makes an interesting appearance in stock market lexicon, with the IPO offer document being called the “𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝘀” (DRHP), presumably to raise a heavy red flag to investors about document’s preliminary and incomplete nature.
Introducing Red Herrings is a commonly deployed strategy to obfuscate issues in business, PR, and politics alike.
As Harry S. Truman (debatably) said, “If you can’t convince them, confuse them”—a tactic used to delay addressing tough questions, especially when results fall short.
How often do you encounter Red Herrings?