67 Reading: New Challenges in Marketing Ethics
New marketing channels create opportunities for new tactics, but sometimes these developments bring new ethical challenges. Eventually, society may establish what is acceptable behavior and what is not, but that process takes time. The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer Study[1] found that customers increasingly expect brands to “place customers ahead of profits and have ethical business practices,” and Interbrand’s 2018 brand study noted that successful businesses are those who are willing “to simultaneously look through a microscope and a telescope, to have the courage to intercept the future, not just flow with it, and, to take decisive action that makes a real impact.”
Societal expectations are changing at a faster rate due to technology including our use of social media platforms. Below are two case studies that show the evolution within the last seven years ignited by tragedies and how corporations respond.
Ethics in Social Media During Week of Boston Marathon 2013 Tragedy
In the following blog post, marketer Augie Ray explains growing sensitivities around the appropriate uses of social media, and shares his guidance to marketers who are seeking to create a trusted relationship with their customers and prospects.
Let’s examine two brands’ actions during the frightening events in Boston. NBC Bay Area posted a photo of a young bombing victim and implored people to “‘Like’ this to wish him a continued speedy recovery.” This desperate attempt to trade on people’s feelings for a young victim of the bombing in order to receive a bit of EdgeRank building engagement is horrifyingly unethical, in my book. (And if you do not agree, then please tell me how “liking” an NBC post lends support to or otherwise helps this poor hospitalized child.)
Ford, a brand I praised for authenticity, waded into dubious water with a Facebook status update following the capture of the second bombing suspect. The brand said, “To the first responders of Boston: Thank you. You are true American heroes.”
Nothing wrong with that—in fact, I love that a brand like Ford feels it can express sincere appreciation for the sacrifices of those who serve. The problem was that Ford didn’t post that as text but included it within a beauty shot of their products, complete with the Ford logo and tagline. Not everyone will agree, but I feel that Ford’s use of brand imagery not only reduced the sincerity of the message but demonstrated questionable ethics. Before you disagree, I would ask you to view the two status updates in the image above—one Ford could have posted and the other it actually did—and consider three questions:
- Which is a more authentic expression of appreciation to people who sacrificed their safety to protect us?
- What does the product and brand imagery of the post on the right add (if anything) to the sincerity of the gratitude compared to the simple text version?
- Which version more clearly puts the focus on the heroes in Bos