Ethical Issues in Marketing

Hello Everyone!
I Khuwaish , student of  Lovely Professional University sharing my views on my first blog related to the ethical and unethical  issues in marketing.
Nowadays, marketing has become the most significant thing that influences people's lives. It affects their decisions, their desires and eventually their lifestyles. From day to day , customers are demanding more and more, and the world of business is rapidly changing. Marketing ethics have never been important to marketers and consumers.

 

Marketing ethics 

Ethics is generally termed as moral principles behind every single action. It is always concerned with what is really right or wrong. Therefore, ethics in marketing means applying all possible standards of fairness, honesty,responsibility and respect.

However, the line between what is considered ethically right and ethically wrong in marketing ethics is quite fine and very differs which depends on industry, nationality and culture. 

In majority of cases, marketers gives the opportunity to escape high costs, and a danger of building up false expectations...

The most common ethical issues that marketing managers are facing daily are false advertising, selling a product that is bad for the consumer's health or environment.

 Example:-

The skin care industry is booming business right now. Youth and beauty are held in a high regard in our society today.Marketers know that by advertising items such as wrinkle reduces and skin creams that promote vitality and youth that people are going to buy these products. They tap into people's insecurities, vanity by using before and after pictures , pictures of beautiful women or men and testimonials from people who have used their products . On some psychological level, many women and men will find a need for those products whether to harm or as a preventative.While this in itself is ethical , marketers have to be careful not to tout products that do not deliver the results that they claim.When this type of marketing takes place it is deceptive and then the practice becomes unethical.

Misleading advertisement is one more common ethical issue. this is a practice of airbrushing photos to enhance the product or lying about the real benefits or origin of the product which are rather unreliable.

The consumer should always compare the product he/she wants to similar products in terms of price, safety and possible drawbacks.Sometimes to be perfectly aware of the marketing practices and strategies,one may read overall critical reviews of the products and services... 

Thank You!