What Forms of Marketing Are Seen in the Public Eye to Be Unethical in the Twenty-First Century - Essay Example

What forms of marketing are seen in the public eye to be unethical in the twenty first century INTRODUCTION Subjects in business administration is one of the most contentious and complicated in human history. The existing connection between doing what is right and money generation has been under study by both business leaders and academics for a long time with petite consensus reached. Ethics in forms of marketing has be seen as a crucial aspect due to the marketing interface with numerous different stakeholders. On the other hand, marketing is a major functional area inside the business organization and offers an interface that is visible not only to the customers, however, to other business stakeholders such as regulatory agencies, media, trade associations among others. Therefore when addressing the forms of marketing ethics it is crucial to take note that an examination should be done from an individual, societal organizational perspective. Examining unethical practices in forms of marketing from a narrow stand point does not outline a foundational contextual that affords a complete empathy of the marketing ethics domain. Ethics has been considered as the study of human conduct philosophy with emphasis being made on the determination of what is Wright (ethical) and wrong (unethical).In the context of marketing, ethics in the workplace is the guiding rules, principles, and standards that governs the conduct of an organizational member, as well as, the marketing decisions consequences. Therefore, forms of marketing that are ethical from a normative point of view can be regarded to the practices that puts more emphasis on the transparent, responsible and trustworthy organizational and personal marketing strategies and actions that exhibits nothing but fairness and integrity to other stakeholders. The major focus area of marketing ethics is on the standards and principles that can define conducts that are acceptable in marketing as resolute by numerous stakeholders and the responsible organization for marketing activities. Marketing ethics extends far beyond the legal and supervisory issues despite the fact that the major standards have so far been codified as regulations and rules that requires marketers to kowtow to society’s expectations of conduct. Marketing practices that are based on ethics are the building blocks in trust establishment that assist in the establishment of a long lasting marketing relationships. Additionally, the frontier spanning marketing nature, presents various ethical aspects that are being experienced in business today. The market professionals and practitioners approaches ethics from a diverse point of view. For instance, the stand point is that ethics involves aspects of individual morals, moral philosophies and personal values that are the key to ethical marketing decisions. Other virtues such as fairness, honesty, and responsibility are taken to be values that can directs marketing decisions that are complex in an organization context. Moreover, an ethics approach through an organizational point of view is through the assumption founding organizational, codes values, and training that are essential for providing shared and consistent shared approaches to generating ethical decisions Aim of the research The main aim of this individual research individual is to evaluate, investigate and analyse some of the leading organisation in the U.K retail sector and how their marketing campaigns have been seen by the public on an unethical base. The research will also look at aspects of marketing that shouldn’t be practised because they are seen unethical behaviour. Research objectives To investigate how customers are engaged in buying products To analyse how marketing to kids is seen unethical and its restriction To investigate how the use of customers insecurity to sell them products is unethical marketing? Research questions How are consumers engaged in buying products? How marketing to kids is seen to be unethical and should it be restricted?  How the use of customers’ insecurity to sell them products is unethical marketing? Justification of the study In the 21st century businesses have experienced growth due to factors such as technological advancements. This has increased competition among many businesses that offers similar products. As a result most of these companies and organizations main goal has remained to maximize profits, through misleading adverts in order to remain competitive. The approaches taken up by these businesses in profit maximization includes unfair pricing and mass production with a major concern on the quality of products. These behaviours and practices has resulted into being one of the ethical practices in the business sector. This study will help managers, business owners on in coming back to their sense and focus more on business ethics other than profits and completion aspects. The governments in UK will also be at an advantage as it sets favourable marketing policies to both the consumers and the businesses. LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction This section provides a detailed literature review with a close focus on the marketing campaigns seen as an unethical base, marketing aspects that shouldn’t be practised because they are seen unethical behaviour and then a theoretical perspective. 2.1 Marketing campaigns Marketing campaigns in many organizations are the major method for passing information about their market with an aim of reinforcing their position for customer acquisition. A good campaign is inclusive of number of series touches with the potential market. Due to he noisy nature in the marketplace any message delivered once through a single medium makes a difference rarely. The frequency that can make an impact in any message delivered there is no any magic, however opinions scope is between 3 to 20 times where seven is an old marketing adage. There is an overarching theme in many marketing campaigns over a long period of time and diverse elements, to tell an entire story. Marketing campaigns can be regarded to as a particular activity that is applied in marketing a new or changed service product or application of novel marketing channels. An effective form of marketing plays a key role in separating rapid developing organizations from stalled companies that stated at the same time and have the same offer and market merchandise. Most successful companies that have remained competitive in the market and especially in the mass consumer markets is because they manges to out market their rivals. In order for any business to grow there has to be effective marketing under way. Campaigns that are successful must be ethical and should be researched for, thought out and detailed focused other than just resting a single idea. Understanding the position of any business is the initial step in planning a marketing campaign and ends with words of advertisement. There are several steps that are important in making sure that works out effectively. Speaking at communal events, this involves offering ones expertise at public occasions in essay way to ensure that the world is out of business’s. Customers should also be involved in the task by trying to get referrals from them by getting current consumers in the best methods possible to a business. It is also advisable to remain in the shoes of a customers and finally offering free samples. These are some the major examples used in marketing campaigns. Unethical dimensions in marketing Ethical marketing is all about issuing claims that are honest and a t the same time helping in the satisfaction of customer needs. Ethical marketing being the right thing to do can have crucial benefits for any business operations. For instance, once customers are convinced that any business will put up to its word, development in a brand loyalty is likely to take place and customers will also sustain and increase their retention. The customers will also pass the good experience they have experience in any business. According to James L. Burrow, marketing practices that are unethical can destroy a business and even result into legal troubles. Some of these unethical marketing forms are as follows. Misleading Adverts An outright and false advert is considered illegal. For instance, an organization can conduct or advertise on the benefits and good part of any product to the public where’s it is not safe for use. Actions can these can be punished by the law. These forms of misleading adverts cannot upgrade to the level of false adverts, however, it is unethical and can affect the relationship between and organization and the public. Another example, is the point where a business claims its products to be better than the way they actually are where in such a case an organization looks untrustworthy. It is important to make all forms of marketing straight in an organization other than making false exaggerated and dishonest claims in market promotions. Exploitation It is unethical to manipulate people by exploiting their fear. For instance, exaggerating the risk people are likely to face in order to sell insurance policies is a manipulation because is a trick to the customers that triggers their buying urge of overpriced and uselessly extended warranties. This sis an approach referred to as a fear sell. It is a tactic that is mainly nefarious when it comes across people who are at a disadvantage in one way or the other. A good example in this case is its application by the insurance policy sales persons to convince or trick low earners into purchasing unnecessary insurance Spam One of the marketers job is to deliver sales messages to potential and existing customers, however, it is unethical to inundate consumers with an onslaught adverts particularly when businesses do not have permission to contact them. For instance, rob-calling and spam email, use of automatic dialing system to contact people without their permission which are some typical unethical forms of marketing. In addition, these practices are likely to anger consumers rather than attracting them towards the business. Pushy Sales Tactics The sales persons in any business are instilled with the obligation of convincing customers to buy a product, however, being over aggressive is unethical. For instance, suppose a certain customers looks like he or she has some interest in a purchase, but requests more time to be able to consider the deal. Bullying the customer into coming up with a quick decision is unethical maybe by lying on the deal is likely to expire soonest or another customer has close interest to the same product. There is no clear link between being bully and persuasive, therefore it’s increasingly ethical to try and assist the customer in making informed decisions other than just focusing on making sales at any given cost. Theoretical perspective There are various theories that have been put across in line with the issue of unethical behaviours in the marketing sector. In this four theories will be addressed, these includes Due care theory, Friedman theory, Kantian theory, and the virtue theory Due care theory This theory asserts that producers have a specialised intellectual believe that the y stand a better and specialized position to appraise risk compared to customers. The fundamental idea behind the Due care theory is that manufactures are laid with an obligation of making sure that since manufactures have an increased power and knowledge compared to customers they hold a special responsibility of searching out for the buyers interest. Moreover, they take care to ensure that the buyers are not harmed by the products they buy. This means that manufactures should take adequate and responsible steps in ensuring that the best interest of customer are taken care or protected. Some of these responsibilities include identifying whether the product design contains an inherent risk that is not acceptable. Any safety device should be integrated in a product design while production should be undertaken with an aim of eliminating any defective item while at the same time warning labels with clear details must also be attached to each and every product. The theory starts over from the assumption that the abrasive equality existing among those who form true contracts that are voluntary neither characterise numerous relationships between buyers and seller in an environment that is technologically complex where the selling group comprises of large corporations. This theory can be approached from two standpoints; as an application of the natural duties that are not intended in injuring or harming people. It can be deduced that in case a negligent production or design which is defective exists and products that causes harm to customers such a manufacture goes against the rule of no injury which is definitely unethical form of marketing. The second approach is regarding the theory as a mutual part of the beneficial practice and failing to exercise as a sort of fairness failure, lack of respect to the rules that are generally understood regarding this certain practice. The society currently offers the manufactures with a permission to undertake their operations in such a way they offer high complex dangerous products to the market and profitable products. Manufactures does their best to make sure that their products will not be risky to them, households or any third party. This arrangement validity as well as its superiority over alternative arrangements whereby manufactures holds the obligation to which they have an explicit agreement can be tested through the reference of different principle under general scopes that they falls. Read More