The Impact of Marketing Ethics on Consumers - Research Proposal Example

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The paper “The Impact of Marketing Ethics on Consumers“ is a  convincing variant on research proposal on marketing. A lot of unethical business practices have been evidenced in the business in the 21st century. The marketing practiced by a firm is capable of creating a positive image and enhance trust. This is through the use of acceptable practices and meeting the customer's ethical expectations (Murphy, 2010). Apple Inc. is one of the most successful companies in consumer electronics such as smartphones, computers and other accessories. The Apple brand is seen to portray innovation, prestige, and quality. At the moment, Apple is one of the most valued brands globally with its value estimated at $153 (Margaret, 2013). The firm has been very successful in marketing their products globally. Despite the success, apple has faced several ethical challenges. One area that the firm has faced challenged is ethical marketing. The firm has been accused of unethical marketing campaigns during the promotion of their new products in the market. Although the firm knows what the consumer needs, their behavior and what is acceptable, they have been facing challenges in ethical marketing.

Research problem
Marketing ethics is a vital aspect of business success (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001). Despite this, there has been a rise in unethical marketing practices being portrayed by successful firms such as Apple. Apple has faced a lot of criticism due to its labor practices and unethical marketing practices (Goldman, 2015). Despite this, Apple has been very successful in marketing their products to consumers. This makes it important to determine the impact the marketing ethics has on its consumers. The literature points out that marketing ethics have an impact on consumers (Murphy, 2010). This research will help in determining the role that marketing ethics has on consumers based on the Apple case.

Research aim & objective
General objective

The research aims are to determine and explore the role of marketing ethics on consumers with a focus on Apple Inc. To achieve this, the study proposes to gather data and literature on marketing ethics and their impact on the consumer.

Specific objectives

• To determine the role played by the marketing ethics on consumers based on apple Inc.
• To determine the validity of the theoretical perspective on marketing ethics
• Analyze Apple Inc. data from apple annual reports while at the same time counterchecking on the marketing ethics by the company.
  • • Scope of the study

The organization under research in this study is Apple Inc. This is through analyzing the company sales data, marketing ethics, and annual reports for a period of 5 years. The study also aims to get data from interviews, questionnaires, observation and marketing ethics literature.

Hypotheses
This study is based on the following hypothesis:

H1- Misleading advertising has a great impact on consumer purchase behavior- Through the use of misleading advertisement the firm damages its reputation which leads to a reduction in sales. Apple lost some of its consumers due to misleading advertisements on its iPhone and Siri. 

H2-The environmental care portrayed by a firm has a significant role in consumer purchasing behavior. A firm which cares for the environment in their marketing campaigns is able to influence the consumer purchasing behavior positively. The hypothesis will test whether Apple has gained or lost customers due to their environmental ethics.

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