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What is Ethical Marketing ?

Marketing Ethics

Definition

  • Marketing ethics is a moral compass, guiding a company's promotional activities.
  • It's based on respecting consumer rights, desires, and expectations.
  • It balances business goals with ethical considerations.

Ethical Marketing

  • A subset of marketing ethics, focusing on fair and transparent practices.
  • Examples: Fair pricing, honest advertising.
  • Unethical marketing: Breaches of customer privacy, sharing information without consent, false claims, targeting vulnerable customers.
  • Navigating ethical dimensions builds trust and contributes to a principled marketplace.

Key Principles of Marketing Ethics

  • Empathy: Understanding customer needs.
  • Honesty: Avoiding manipulation and exaggeration.
  • Sustainability: Commitment to environmental and social well-being.
  • Transparency: Openness about business operations.
  • Promise-keeping: Fulfilling promises to customers and society.

Examples

  • Ethical: A company selling organic cleaning products claims natural ingredients and biodegradable packaging.
  • Sustainable: The Green Fiber Bottle Project (Carlsberg advertisement).
  • Sustainable: Lacoste's "Save Our Species" campaign.