8 Things Students Should Know About Ethics in Marketing

It might not be obvious to everyone, but each marketing specialist should adhere to certain ethical principles. After all, it is crucial to maintain good relationships with potential and existing customers. Marketing ethics is a broad subject, but we tried to put the most important information briefly so you could grasp the basics.

So, let us define the notion first. Ethical marketing is a philosophy that seeks to promote honesty, responsibility, and fairness in all advertising strategies. It is impossible to please everyone with their subjective opinion of what is right and what is wrong. Minimizing critique is possible, though. Read on to find out how.

Businesses Can Do Well by Doing Good

There is nothing wrong with a business being successful. But if this business also promotes values, it is even better. Let us make an analogy. For instance, experts from EssayHub write essays for students, and you order one to get an excellent mark. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you can also leave a comment for your writer that you would like your essay to make a difference.

By doing so, you achieve two very important goals. First, you succeed in college. And your essay can be picked for publishing in a local newspaper or on your college website. Second, if it tackles important issues, you raise public awareness. In other words, you do well and do good.

How can you make sure that the service of your choice is capable of succeeding in both tasks? For instance, you can visit a trusted reviews platform and read EssayPro reviews there. Invest some time to leave your feedback later. It will help someone else choose a reliable paper writing service.

Dos of Ethical Marketing

1. Be Transparent

The key information about your product’s safety or your services’ efficiency should be transparent. Customers immediately suss out dishonesty. No matter how much you invest in your promotional strategy, your reputation will suffer if customers write negative reviews.

2. Protect Customers’ Data

These days, customers are getting more and more concerned about their privacy. That is why it is important to emphasize the company’s commitment to secure personal data. The privacy of the consumer should never be compromised.

Source: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/privacy-policy-service-documents-terms-use-concept_16472311.htm#query=privacy&position=33&from_view=search

3. Respond Meaningfully

If customers voice doubts about the safety of the product or services, do not

• ignore it;
• react aggressively;
• hide this review.

All the above-mentioned options are signs of weakness. It is necessary to show that customer rights are a top priority. And the only way to do it is to immediately investigate any complaint and react with a meaningful reply.

4. Maximize Benefits

Your promotional strategy should benefit as many people as possible. Besides, the risk should be minimal. It means that your initiative should be efficient and harmless at the same time.

Don’ts of Ethical Marketing

1. Don’t Exaggerate

If the company promises their customer the level of quality they cannot deliver, there is no excuse for that. It is a false claim that contradicts ethics, especially if you do this without scientific evidence back-up.

2. Don’t Make False Comparisons

Picturesque comparisons are a powerful means of convincing people. If you deliberately underestimate your competitor’s goods, it is unethical. All professionals in this sphere share a common standard of truth.

3. Don’t Stereotype

For instance, portraying women as sex objects is the worst stereotypical idea the company can come up with. This type of marketing helps cultivate a sexist culture. Even dark PR does not sound like a good excuse here.

4. Don’t Exploit Emotions

The images of kids and animals are typically used because they are eye-catching and emotion-appealing. They serve the purpose of generating interest; that is true. But at the same time, they exploit people’s emotions.

Source: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/little-girl-holds-puppy-her-arms_1471519.htm#query=a%20child%20with%20a%20pet&position=1&from_view=search

There is an even worse example. If the company uses strategies that evoke negative emotions (fear, sadness, rage), they manipulate its customers. Clients feel it and despise it.

Why Is Ethics in Marketing Important?

Ethical marketing is crucial because it brings the following benefits to the company:

• good reputation in the long-term;
• customer loyalty;
• leadership;
• the satisfaction of basic human needs;
• display of a rich culture;
• the attraction and retention of the right talents;
• achieving financial stability;
• increased brand value, sometimes even globally.

Don’ts Are Sometimes More Important Than Dos

In a nutshell, this is what you should know about ethics in marketing as a student. Funnily enough, in this case, what a company does not do is sometimes more important than what it does.

History knows a lot of examples of companies that have changed the traditional understanding of marketing thanks to ethics. You can research TOMS, Everlane, or Conscious Coffees for a better understanding of the topic. But hopefully, we did a good job of helping you connect ethics and marketing.