Leeds University Business School
Lecture 5
Ethics in marcoms
Tony Byng
Learning outcomes for today
• Discuss ethical questions for marcoms
• Consider a framework of potential ethical issues confronting marcoms professionals
• Reflect on personal attitudes to key ethical issues
Leeds University Business School
Leeds University Business School
Ethical questions
1
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Does marcoms…. provide information?
help us make decisions? create jobs? promote competition? entertain? encourage a higher standard of living? help new firms enter a market?
Leeds University Business School
Or does it…. affect product value?
influence consumer choice? make us buy things we don’t need? make us more affect us subliminally? materialistic? increase prices?
discourage debase language? competition? affect art?
affect demand?
Leeds University Business School
Leeds University Business School
Ethical issues to consider
2
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Ethical issues to consider
• Manipulation
• Stereotypes
– Gender
– Ethnic / minority
– Body / image
• Materialism
• Truth
• Offensive
– Sex
– Shock
• Children
• Controversial products • Unmentionable products Leeds University Business School
Leeds University Business School
Manipulation
Force of good or evil?
CON Marcoms are superficial and intrusive
Marcoms create needs
PRO Marcoms inform
Marcoms address a wide variety of basic human needs
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3
Courtesy, Sketchers USA, Inc.
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Leeds University Business School
Materialism
4
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Do we really need it?
CON
Marcoms promote materialism
PRO
Marcoms reflect society’s priorities
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5
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Leeds University Business School
Truth
Mistrust of marcoms
• Many consumers do not perceive ads as honest or believable • History of abuses involving sales promotion
• Deceptive practices involving direct marketing
• Internet scams and abuses
Leeds University Business School
6
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
7
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
What was wrong with the iPhone ad?
Leeds University Business School
8
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Leeds University Business School
Offensive
An appeal too far?
CON Marcoms (and ads in particular) are often offensive
PRO Marcoms are often liberating
Leeds University Business School
Leeds University Business School
Sex
9
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Mars vs Venus
• Women are made tense and fatigued by female nudity
• Men are energized by female nudity
(LaTour, 1990)
• ‘Cheesecake’ ads provoke negative attitudes in women, but positive attitudes for men
• ‘Beefcake’ ads reduce recall for women and are not disparaged by men
(Jones et al, 1998)
• Women respond favourably to sexual appeals when there is a strong fit between ad and brand
• Men respond favourably to sexual appeals regardless of fit
(Putrevu, 2008)
Leeds University Business School
10
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
How did you react to the two versions of the Armani ad?
Leeds University Business School
11
LUBS5455 – Marketing Communications – Tony Byng
Does sex benefit the brand?
• Sexual ads are considered more interesting and engaging than nonsexual counterparts
• Nonsexual ads are more likely to stimulate thoughts about informational content in the ad
• Moderately explicit sexual ads deliver higher purchase intention than high or low/no sex versions of an ad
Leeds University Business