Consumer Behavior Assignment help on : Analysis of Hot Topic: Buyer Beware? The Ethics of Marketing

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Introduction

            In existing society, there are different explicit and implicit issues, which are aimed to affect the societal structure and orientation in a quite aversive manner. Different social issues can also affect the happiness and satisfaction level pursued by a common individual from a well civilized society. In context to this, among various hot and controversial topics, the paper aims to discuss one of the general but important social issues, i.e. Ethics of Marketing in the context of buyer’s perspectives. Nowadays, inclusion of ethics in different marketing activities undertaken by business organizations has become a hot topic of debate. The essay aims to analyze the issue from the perspective of human flourishing concept.

Description of the issue

            The issue, which has been taken for the essay is related with the viability of ethics in marketing for a marketer as well as buyers. In existing period of time norms of business practices have been changed quite dramatically. Intensive competition prevailing within the global business market place has put additional pressure over business organization. In context to this, the importance and usage of advertizing and marketing measures for the purpose of addressing stiff competition has been enhanced up to a significant level (Bürgenmeier, 1992). In relation to this, nowadays marketers have been started to undertake several aggressive marketing activities for the purpose of attracting the customers. In direction to this, the issue of ethics followed by the company in its marketing activities is one of the most debatable issues. Business organizations are using different marketing measure without considering their impact over society. In addition to this, misrepresentation of information and facts, and misguidance to customers about the side effects of the product marketed by the organization are some of the major issues related with the ethics of marketing ((Pride & Ferrell, 2010).

Nature of the issue

            The issue relate with usage of ethics in marketing practices undertaken by business organizations is quite crucial from the perspective of society as well as sustainability of the organization. By nature, this issue can be considered as the issue of common good. Common good issues are quite related with a specific issue, which can affect different members of society or a specific community. The issues related with ethical marketing can affect different aspects of the society in the most crucial manner. However, ethics are the phenomena which cannot be bound in the limits established by the legal authorities. Issues of Justice are quite directed to reveal the impact of the issue over a specific section of the society that can lead to injustice and imbalance within the society. In this contrast to this, the issues related with ethics in marketing can be proved quite critical from the perspective of entire society. In this way, the issue can be considered as an issue of common good (Etzioni, 1995).

Stakeholders and their perspectives over the issue

Ethics in marketing and customer awareness has been identified as one of the major issues in existing business environment. There are a number of different stakeholders, who are quite concerned with this issue. These stakeholders are affected quite differently because of this issue. Owing to this reason, different stakeholders are having different perspectives over the issues related with the lack of ethics in marketing and its impact of over society. The discussion over different stakeholders related with the perspective can be presented as below:

Customer:

            Customers of the organization are the prime stakeholder of the issue. The inclusion of ethics in the marketing practices undertaken by a business organization can be proved quite affective from the perspective of customers. It is due to the reason that customers can be categorized as the entity which is directly related with any practice and decision undertaken by the business organization. As all the practices of the business organization related with marketing are directed to attract or inform customer, it become quite essential for the organization to consider the advantages and disadvantages of its different marketing campaign from the perspective of customers (Shimp, 2008).

            Alignment of ethics in marketing is aimed to provide adequate and correct information to the customers so that they can be able to undertake to make an efficient purchasing decision. The ethical marketing is also quite helpful for customers to enhance value of money paid by them for purchasing goods and services. In this way, through ethical marketing, customer becomes quite able to have correct and complete information about the product and service, which is to be purchased (Pride & Ferrell, 2004).

            For a customer, inclusion of ethics with marketing practices of business organizations is quite crucial and beneficial as it helps them to satisfy their need and demand in the most effective and efficient manner, and enhance the value of their. Owing to this reason, customers is always having positive perspectives over the issue of ethical marketing (Shimp, 2008).

Society

            Society is also one of the prime entity which is affected directly got affected due to the issue of ethics in marketing. Society is a comprehensive term which includes all the living and non living but impactful entities. Along with this, from the perspective of business also, there is a direct link with society. It is due to the reason that a business organization undertakes its different inputs such as Money, Man Power and raw material from the society. In respect to this, biasness also provides different outputs such as employment opportunities, production, economic development of the region, and different intrinsic values (such as enhanced living standards of the society and development or integration of different social norms). In this way, this input-output relationship between society and business organization, signifies the mutual dependency of both the factors. This discussion also reflects that any decision or strategy undertaken by the business organization can positively or negatively affect the norms of society.

            In context of ethics in marketing, the perspective of the society can be put in a positive manner as the proper mitigation of this issue can affect the values and conditional situation of the society. Proper integration of ethics in the marketing can lead to improve existing state of art for the society by adding values in the societal practices and norms (Pride & Ferrell, 2010).

Organization

            Another important and core stakeholder of the issue is the organization for which, different marketing activities are designed or accomplished. Business organization are generally got affected significantly due to the issue related with ethics in market as such issues are quite related with goodwill and image of the company within the market and in the eyes of its customers. Lack of ethicality within the marketing practices of the organization leads to decrease the credibility and trust of customers over the company. From the perspective of the organization, it becomes quite essential to provide adequate and real information about the product and service offered to them. This aspect is also quite important for the company to have long term relationship with the company. Owing to this reason, it will be quite helpful for business organizations to have positive perspective regarding ethics in marketing (Burgenmeier, 1992).

 Marketer

            Along with organizations, different issues related with ethics in marketing also affect marketers of a business organization. There is a direct relationship with the marketing practices of an organization and marketer as marketers are the entities which design and formulate policies and strategies of the company. Generally, marketers are counted as the entity which conceives negative perspective regarding inclusion of ethics in marketing practices. They do not want to change the situation as inclusion of ethics restricts the scope and span of aggressive marketing. As per generalized opinion of marketers about the issue is that inclusion of ethics prevents them to undertake some important decision which are quite favorable for the organization in existing period of time (Schlegelmilch, 1998).

Analysis of the issue with the principle of Human Flourishing

            From the perspective of Human Flourishing, effective inclusion of ethics in marketing can be proved quite essential. Human Flourishing principle in the context of business states that business should be not aimed to earn materialistic profits; rather it should be directed towards well being of human beings. The concept of Human Flourishing also states that flourishing of human beings implicitly depends upon better living conditions provided to them and acceptance of such conditions by them (Paul, Miller & Paul, 1999). Development of society and its sustainability directly depends upon the factors that affect the phenomena of human flourishing in the most crucial manner. Higher the human flourishing in the society, higher will be the growth and sustainability of that society (Gasparski, & Ryan, 1996).

            In this context, role of business of organizations in promoting human flourishing in society can be proved quite vital as business organizations are quite integral part of a society. Practices and efforts undertaken by a business organization affect living standards of members of the society in the most effective manner. In context to this, impact of aligning ethics with marketing practices of a business organization can be considered quite vital from the perspective of Human Flourishing principal, which prompt business organization to refine its different business functions and practices (Hinman, 2012).

            By aligning its marketing practices as per ethical norms a business organization can contribute in the promotion sustainable orientation of the society. In direction to this, different ethical marketing practices of the business organization also help it to accomplish its corporate social responsibilities. A company pursues an important corporate social responsibility towards its customers to provide them some real and comprehensive information related with the product and services for which, the customer is willing to pay money. Hiding information about products or misrepresentation of side effects of a particular product are some of the acts that can be counted as the violation of ethics in marketing by the company (Gasparski, & Ryan, 1996). Although such type of violation can be proved profitable for the organization, instantly, yet from the long term perspective the organization will be required pay for violation of ethics in the market. It is due to the reason that sometimes misrepresentation of information and feature about the product in an unethical manner can shed harmful impact over its consumer. Along with human flourishing, these consequences of unethical marketing acts can also harm the creditability of the organization, and negative word of mouth publicity of the organization (Hill, 2002).

            In addition to this, the negative consequence of unethical marketing also prevents customers to fulfill their entire needs and demands, even after paying the adequate amount. This factor also enhances the level of dissatisfaction within customers, which is not a positive sign for the long term sustainability of the society (Paul, Miller & Paul, 1999). In relation to this there are a number of different ethical aspects of marketing such as proper presentation of actual feature of the product, demonstration of all the hidden costs associated with the product, making the customer about all the side effects of the products, considerations regarding positive impact of the advertisement or marketing campaign on the society implied by the company, and fair and accurate representation of competitive position of the business organization. These all the aspects are quite compatible with requirements of principles of human flourishing (Vilcox & Mohan, 2007).

            In this way, it can be considered that inclusion of ethics in the marketing can be proved quite effective and positively aligned with different principals of Human Flourishing.

Conclusion

            In the light of entire analysis made in the paper, it can be concluded that adoption of ethical norms while designing marketing activities can be proved quite effective for customers as well as for the organization itself. Although, from the perspective of marketers the inclusion of ethics within the marketing practices are not fruitful as they restrict the span of decision making by the organization, yet from the perspective of the society and customer, the phenomena  of ethics in marketing are quite positive.

            In order to address the issue of exclusion of ethical norms from marketing practices undertaken by marketers, there is a need of some strict steps from the side of top level management of the business organizations, and government and other regulatory authorities of the country. There should be some specific norms and guidelines regarding presentation of different information related with the product and services offered by the company so that all the marketing activities can be undertaken in the most ethical manner.

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