A634.5.4.RB - Is Marketing Evil?_SharpMelissa

Dincer & Dincer (2014) noted that the functional area most closely related to ethical abuse in organizations, is marketing (p.151). Citing Volle (2013), Dincer & Dincer (2014) noted that ethical abuse occurs most in marketing because marketing is the function of business designed to communicate with and openly satisfy customers (p.151). Citing Murphy & Laczniak (1981), Dincer & Dincer (2014) stated that marketing is scrutinized most because of how public it is. I believe that most organizations start off with good intentions; they are usually small, rely heavily on word of mouth, and try to build a good name. However, as they grow, marketing ethics is no longer a priority, winning is. Unfortunately, some companies are so dependent on winning that they lose sight of the very thing that caused their initial growth…their word. Some may argue that companies have the freedom to do whatever it takes to win, as long as it is legal. After all, are organizations really responsible to the whole society when marketing?  

While organizations are not technically responsible, as long as their practices are legal, there is an unwritten social responsibility. Because of the people-centered function of marketing, organizations' “owe” ethical practices, to the people. Dincer & Dincer (2014) cited the American Marketing Association (2013) stating that marketing is the activity and process for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging products that have value for customers and society at large (p.152). Dincer & Dincer (2014) noted that the American Marketing Association’s definition of marketing stresses the importance of delivering value and the responsibility marketers have to create strong relationships that benefit the whole society (p.152).

The rise of social media has added to organizations’ need for ethical marketing. There are so many cases of celebrities getting fire for behaving unethically; for example, a well-known actress recently tweeted racial slurs about someone and her show was cancelled...she lost her high-paying job in an instant. Now more than ever, organizations’ actions are heavily scrutinized. Still, scrutiny does not mean that organizations' should fear communicating; they should simply consider their entire audience when communicating messages.

The need for social responsibility seems greater for larger organizations. Because of this, organizations’ should market with integrity (small organizations should also) and take advantage of opportunities to communicate good messages. For example, in the height of the #MeToo movement, the razor maker, Gillette, decided to take on toxic masculinity (Powers, 2019). Gillette’s ad encourages men to speak out against sexual harassment, bullying, and sexist behavior (Powers, 2019). Gillette’s ad is a good example of ethical marketing because as a well-known company, their message communicated that they were awake to the problems in our society. While supporting the #MeToo movement was not Gillette's responsibility, the company saw an opportunity to speak up, and they did. Gillette’s ad was not supported by many, still, I think it was bold and appreciated by many. Gillette’s actions showed their connection to society.

As a campus leader, I am experiencing the thin line between campus growth and marketing ethics. For example, over the last few years, ERAU-Worldwide enrollment numbers have declined; as a result, several campuses closed. Enrollment decline is occurring everywhere, so all campuses are thinking through student outreach strategies. While I am marketing and contacting students, I maintain that my student’s need is my priority. For example, if Sadie tells me that she does not want to take a full load because she’s not academically ready, I am not going to advise her in a way that may negatively impact her academic experience. Does this mean I may lose enrollments, yes; however, I am not losing sleep over my decision. I believe it is possible to market the University and reach out to students, without compromising my integrity. My integrity is not compromised because I truly believe in the mission of ERAU; thus, I am able to market with sincerity. As an organization, ERAU's name speaks for itself and I am glad that I honestly support that name. 

Dincer, C., & Dincer, B. (2014). An Overview and Analysis of Marketing Ethics. International journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 4(11), 151-158. doi:10.6007/IJARBSS/v4-i11/1290

Powers, K. (2019, January 17). Gillette Commercial Controversy: Men should just get over it and adapt to #MeToo era. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/01/17/gillette-commercial-child-labor-sales-drop-masculinity-offensive-male-column/2602316002/