Ethics in Social Marketing – BMS Notes
A key element of every company plan is business ethics. In particular, ethics become an even more important consideration when talking about outward communications such as PR and marketing. The contemporary corporate code of conduct is an outline of professional ethics that a company commits to upholding and that it requires its employees to follow. Any transgression of such standards is seen as inappropriate professional conduct and may have negative effects on an individual’s or an organization’s business.
Personal Information
First, let’s examine the kind of data that we use in order to choose our target market. The fact that marketers now have access to precise, personal customer data is one of the reasons social media marketing has been so successful. Marketers and corporations have access to almost all personal information about an individual, thanks to data mostly collected from social networking sites. This information includes relationship status, eating habits, likes, political ideas, religious beliefs, hobbies, and past purchases.
Although a lot of individuals have mixed feelings about this data being collected, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with utilising private, particular information for marketing. The ability for companies to connect and engage with consumers who really want to see their advertisements and interact with them may be seen as a good thing overall by some. You may locate individuals that are interested in your goods, which can increase your clientele.
Acquiring the Information
When establishing an advertisement on most social media platforms, you may choose from built-in criteria. For instance, when you place an advertisement on Facebook or Instagram, you are asked to choose an audience based on the data those platforms already possess about their users. Based on their user information, they are assisting you in locating your intended audience.
But sometimes, companies could want to grow their email list in order to engage in direct inbox marketing. Certain firms provide brands and corporations databases of prospective consumers’ email addresses. Acquiring email addresses might seem like a smart move and a convenient method to reach a larger audience, but it crosses several ethical ethical lines. The issue with this approach is that you are contacting people without their permission when you buy email lists. They declined to communicate with you. Although it is theoretically permissible to approach someone directly without their permission once, most customers find unsolicited emails intrusive and it is typically frowned upon. Additionally, although buying emails can momentarily expand your email list, it’s doubtful that this expansion will last. It is preferable to let clients who really want to hear from you expand your email list on its own. This is not only more morally just, but it is also more profitable.
Addictive Patterns
How users engage with the site itself is another ethical component of social media to look at, as is the potential impact of psychological marketing strategies on users’ social media use. If so, who bears the blame—the platforms itself, the advertisers, or the customers? Maybe a combination of all three may be the solution.
Technology addiction is a hot topic of discussion, especially in relation to social media. An excellent post on the website of the American Marketing Association explores the relationship between social media marketing and the intersections of technology, addiction, and habit. It seems that the general opinion at the moment is that consumers, advertisers, and the platforms themselves bear some of the blame. Although each person is ultimately accountable for their own acts, businesses and brands must ensure that their activities take the consumer’s welfare into account. It’s easy for us to get into the habit as social media marketers of wondering how our ads affect our target audience.
As social media marketers, we aim to have a positive impact on our communities and consumers. In general, marketing is now more personalised and participatory than it has ever been. Additionally, customers seem to be appreciating this trend toward the connected and personable in general. However, just as it’s necessary to react to our audiences’ want for more, it’s also important to critically review our tactics to ensure that our means of communicating and connecting with our customers are ethical.
Emotional Exploitation
It’s crucial to customers that brands and corporations be socially aware. This occasionally means that you’ll have a concept for an ad that’s political and takes a stance on a specific side of an issue. This may be a terrific method to improve brand recognition and communicate with your audience around current, relevant subjects. However, make sure you’re taking a position in a manner that’s neither unpleasant or insensitive. If you’re taking a statement on a hot-button subject, make sure your ad doesn’t exploit the side you’re fighting for. People who care about the problem may regard your ad as hijacking their issue to promote a product and it may backfire.
When Pepsi employed model and celebrity Kendall Jenner in an ad portraying street protestors, the campaign generated tremendous outrage on the Internet. Various young individuals among them is Jenner are depicted abandoning their life to join the demonstrations. The finale of the commercial is Jenner presenting a Pepsi to a police officer, who then sips it.
The backlash on the Internet was swift. Many thought that the well-meaning commercial failed to portray the shortness of genuine demonstrations that have been on the increase. In later remarks, Pepsi and Jenner expressed sorrow about the campaign. The commercial was withdrawn immediately after it ran.
While Pepsi intended to make an inspiring ad that used a current, relevant, and divisive issue, many believe that their decision to use a serious issue that has resulted in multiple deaths on both sides in order to sell their product was in poor taste. When deciding if and when to get political or choosing a stance to take, it’s important to do your research and ensure that this issue or stance is one that you want your brand to be aligned with .
You don’t want to create more enemies than you need to in controversial situations. If you want to run a marketing campaign that takes a stance, this would be a good time to put extra effort into your social listening strategy. If the issue centres around a particular group of oppressed people, make sure you’re consulting with members of the affected community to make sure your ad amplifies the cause and doesn’t exploit it. Get input on the ads before you place them from a diverse group of people. Make sure you and your team has a good grasp on the issue and know exactly what you want your ad to communicate.
Similarly, be wary of capitalising on subjects that evoke strong feelings on a societal level especially if the subjects or events you’re referencing involves tragedy. While marketing is designed to evoke emotions from core audiences, it’s not ethical to use tragedies to sell your product. Even if your intent is good – say, to honour victims of a natural disaster – be careful in how you portray the event and the victims. You don’t want to exploit someone’s tragedy to push your business.