Will any company be able to conduct its activity over a long period of time if it exerts its efforts only in order to gain maximum profits? Nowadays business
ethics,
including marketing ethics is one of the factors that executives and staff of every
association should observe and take into consideration.
For instance, the American Marketing Association is one of the organizations that has worked out the AMA Code of Ethics, including
Ethical Norms and
Values for
Marketers (AMA Code of Ethics 1). For instance, in this Code of Ethics it is indicated that all marketing specialists should realize that they do not only work to their company''s good but also create a marketing product for a specific target audience (AMA Code of Ethics 1). Accordingly, marketers are obliged to apply “the highest ethical norms of practicing professionals and the ethical values implied by their responsibility towards stakeholders” (AMA Code of Ethics 1). Furthermore, in this document the authors emphasize that all marketers should observe such values as honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, openness, and citizenship (AMA Code of Ethics 2). Additionally, those persons who deal with marketing should make all reasonable efforts so as to favour trust in the community, including: it is of great importance to tell truth irrespective of the circumstances (AMA Code of Ethics 1). Accordingly, in my opinion, all consumers are entitled to know the truth. Moreover, it does not matter whether the information is deceptive or true. For instance, perception plays a very important role in decision-making. As a result, if the target audience thinks that the video publicity release was prepared by the news staff, it will perceive it differently. However, if users were aware that a marketing company developed the material or news, they would think of it differently, because everybody knows that marketing is intended for a promotion of a product.
In summary, all stakeholders should know the truth about the real sources of information irrespective of it is significance or designation, as subconsciously people can misapprehend it, and, as a result, take the wrong decision.
Bibliography
“American Marketing Association Code of Ethics: Ethical Norms and Values for Marketers”. AMA. 2007. 9 August 2007. Web site:
<http://www.marketingpower.com/content21013.php>
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