Marketing ethics

What constitutes "acceptable" marketing practices? How do we draw the line between "relatability" and blatant unprofessionalism?

It’s safe to say that everything I know about the Selena Gomez vs Hailey Bieber drama has been against my will. You've probably seen it all over the internet—people love controversy. What I don’t understand is why certain brands decided to make a statement supporting one of the parties. There’s no justification for big companies jumping on the train to capitalize off a controversial situation. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not picking a side, I don’t have enough information to do that. I just don’t think it’s responsible for brands to engage in online smear campaigns just because they want to sound trendy.

When marketing their products, brands have a responsibility to prioritize ethics and follow acceptable societal standards. These moral principles that guide the marketing decisions and practices of companies and individuals are referred to as marketing ethics. Marketing ethics goes beyond making sure your products satisfy user needs and includes ensuring that every business decision is consistent with your brand's values. Consumers have become increasingly socially conscious and would not want to be complicit when brands are involved in unethical practices and may instead choose to boycott these companies. Being known for being controversial all the time will do a brand a huge disservice and hurt its reputation and how consumers perceive it.

Some time last year, Balenciaga received backlash for their marketing campaign which appeared to exploit and sexualize children. The campaign photos showed young children, some appearing as young as 4 or 5 years old, holding plush toy bags designed to look like teddy bears in bondage. The bags had straps, buckles, and harnesses similar to BDSM outfits and accessories. It raised controversy as it was highly inappropriate and disturbing, promoting the sexualization of children. Although Balenciaga issued an apology and removed the photos from their social media channels and website, the poor judgment and lack of awareness about the implications of these photos underscore the need for more care, accountability, and awareness in marketing.

These days, brands' terminology reflects this issue as well. Brands have attempted to use relatability as their social media identity, but most of the time they fall flat , end up being disrespectful, and ultimately become offensive. While being edgy might be the trend, businesses should prioritize ethics and social responsibility. Personally, I've observed some use demeaning and condescending language toward customers as a marketing strategy. I have no idea how this has become acceptable behavior, but it is wrong and will do the brand a huge disservice.

Every decision a company makes, including its policies, the environment in which it operates, and the sustainability of its goods, affects how consumers perceive that company. That is evident in the workplace culture as well. A business that prides itself on supporting women's rights shouldn't have any discriminatory policies. Likewise a brand should be knowledgeable enough to avoid working with a notorious abuser.

Now, some might argue that this is Nigeria and people don’t truly care about these things, but people do. People are gradually becoming more socially conscious, and brand perception is important. One of the most important ways to ensure consumer loyalty is through word of mouth, thus marketers have a responsibility to uphold ethical marketing principles. Brands that satisfy customers' emotional needs, as well as their physical ones, will continue to be rewarded by consumers.

Here are a few ways I think this can be achieved: 

1. Have a clear brand communication guide from the beginning: From a company's inception, there should be standards guiding every marketing decision a company makes, as well as any other action that affects the reputation of the brand. This also applies to a brand's tone of voice, which ensures that there is consistency in messaging irrespective of who works on it. Brands should establish guidelines for employee behavior, marketing campaigns, the types of people they collaborate with and ensuring that these people promote their brand in a manner that aligns with the brand values. Appropriate safeguards should be put in place to guarantee that marketing is carried out responsibly. Ultimately, every decision or policy should reinforce rather than contradict a brand's values.

2. Have core foundational values for your brand: There's no denying that ethics can be subjective. While making decisions that can affect your brand, having principles like transparency, honesty, empathy, and fairness at the forefront of your mind is beneficial. Every choice—marketing or otherwise—should be consistent with these ideals. For instance, precautions should be taken to guarantee responsible storytelling; how information was gathered and used is crucial. User data should not be used without consent or misused in a manner that will cause harm. Brands have a duty of care to users and should not fall short.

3. Be open and truthful: Do not misrepresent your product in any way. Businesses often overestimate a product's value, misleading consumers. Avoid embellishing your goods with false claims as a marketer. Make sure users have accurate information before they decide. Also, respect user’s privacy by being upfront about how their information will be used while collecting it and refrain from using it for any other purpose.

4. Be intentional about corporate social responsibility: Companies should incorporate practices that positively contribute to society by providing solutions to societal concerns, such as donations to charity and other development initiatives. In doing so, businesses should ensure that these practices are not merely performative and that they do not contradict the values they purport to uphold. For instance, a company that donates 10% of its quarterly profit to school children should not be found exploiting children. Ultimately, prioritizing corporate social responsibility will positively affect brand perception and contribute to a business's overall success.

That’s all for this week! Thank you for reading The Final Draft.

Big thanks to all 25 of you who have subscribed since my last issue. Spread the love and share the final draft with your friends!

Quick question: Are there industries you simply would not work in because of your moral values? Let me know in the comments!

I would like to hear your opinions on this issue. Please share your thoughts in the comments!

---

JOB BOARD

Aspire Power Solutions is hiring a Content Marketing Intern

Periculum is hiring a marketing intern

Oddience is hiring a brand storyteller

Fluna is hiring a social media associate and content creator

Goodluck!🧡

---

WEEKLY INTERESTING FINDS!

“Against The Loveless World” by Susan Abulhawa: My favorite thing about this book was how well developed the characters were. The author did an excellent job of detailing the events that the characters went through and how they managed to hold on to love in all forms, even under the most trying circumstances.

Fords International Women’s Day Campaign: I loved the concept behind this ad. It basically showed what a Ford car would look like without the features developed by women. The messaging was wonderful—simple and straightforward.

Marketing For Geeks Newsletter: The Marketing Flywheel, Customer Onboarding, Comparison Pages, and more: Explores how marketers can track which channels is the most succesful, how to use comparison pages to your advantage and many more!