Ethics are or should be the root of all decisions made in business. Marketing also has a duty of ethics by ensuring products are safe. There has to be a balance of moral behavior in order to protect the consumer as well as the business. Unethical issues harm society and reputations so it has become an important detail in Marketing.
Ethics is a difficult subject with no definite answers. Companies try to develop marketing ethics policies to help managers with moral decision making. They need to ensure products aren’t pushed to hard or guidelines are meant for safe products. There are different philosophies associated with ethics in marketing. One is that the legal system and free market should decide the issues. Second is that responsibility is in the hands of management and companies. In this philosophy management and companies should hold themselves to the highest standard of ethics.
Ethical marketing has a positive effect of customer relationships. Decisions should be made on integrity, corporate conscience, and customer welfare (Kotler and Armstrong). Customer relationships increase when companies put their needs and safety at the root of decisions verse profit or image. An example would be issuing a recall immediately verse trying to get around it.
The American Marketing Association has made a code of ethics that companies should follow. The first is do no harm which applies to avoiding harm or omissions by having high ethical standards. The next is Foster trust in the marketing system which ensures deception in design, production,communication, and distribution. Lastly, Embrace ethical values which helps build relationships and enhance customer confidence in companies. The use of these ethics will allow companies to rise to their ethical duties and create a positive legacy in the view of their company.
Sources
Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (2014). Principles of Marketing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Journey through Marketing 