This document discusses ethics in integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaigns. It addresses key ethical issues related to different communication tools, including advertising, public relations, personal selling, online communications, packaging, sales promotion, and targeting of vulnerable groups like children. The document also discusses views on ethics in marketing communications and factors like truth-telling, manipulation, offense, stereotypes, privacy, and taste that marketers must consider to behave ethically. Self-regulation through standards authorities that establish codes of conduct to guide ethical advertising is also covered.

1. 1
Ethics in IMC Campaigns
Nuša Fain
Learning objectives
• Understanding the problems associated with
ethical marketing
• Understand the relationship between self-
regulation and legislation
• Be aware of ethical considerations related to
different communication tools

2. 2
What are Ethics?
• involve matters of right and wrong (moral) conduct in
regard to any aspect of marketing communications.
• The principle of ethics can be considered and applied
to each area within Marketing Communications.
• Simply being in bad taste does not equate to breaking
ethical codes.
• Ethics are not regulated; they can be encouraged by
codes of conduct.
Ethics are attracting increased
attention
• All stakeholders becoming increasingly interested and
concerned with ethical issues relating to marketing
communications (and business and organisations
generally).
• Cynicism, scepticism, loss of credibility, educated
consumer, disinterest, increasingly educated,
Generations X and Y, consequence of relational
marketing approaches.
• Magnified, not created by current global economic and
social concerns.

3. 3
Two views on Ethics in MC
1. MC in itself is undesirable
2. The activity in principle is justifiable, just some
aspects of MC are undesirable
Particular environment for ethics
and marketing communications
• MC (and advertising in particular) are
considered as:
• Promoting materialism
• Wasting resources
• Creating unwanted needs
• Encourages stereotyping
• Causes people to use harmful products
• Inhibits media coverage
• Delivers subliminal messages.

4. 4
Communication responses
Are ethics in marketing
communications an oxymoron?
General Issues:
• Advertising as mass manipulation
• Truth-telling, misrepresentation and puffery
• Targeting of vulnerable groups
• Privacy and respect for persons
• Taste and decency

5. 5
Truth-telling
• Telling the truth as a general ethical requirement, but…
• Both buyer and seller are representing their interests in the
exchange process.
• Misrepresentation and puffery – condemned by codes
of practice, but…
• Enthusiastic use of language and images to convey the
most optimistic views of the product
• Exaggerated images have a greater potential to delude
Targeting vulnerable groups
• Children are a key target: primary market; market
influencers and future markets.
• Children lack the ability to distinguish between
advertising and programmes until the age of 6-8.
• The most unsophisticated of all consumers; they have
the least and therefore want the most
• Special people in their own right, not mini-adults.
• Need for regulations protecting children?

6. 6
Some e.g. of covert Marketing
Techniques targeting Children
• Children's Clubs: Disney Club, Barbie Club.
• Sales Promotion Techniques: free toys with breakfast
cereals etc.
• Character merchandising: McDonald’s Happy Meals.
• Sponsorship of children's TV programmes.
• In-school marketing (mostly US).
• Sponsorship of children’s sports clubs and activities.
Considerations for Ethical
Advertising to Children
• Recognise children’s varying levels of knowledge,
sophistication and maturity.
• Do not unfairly exploit the imaginative quality of
children.
• Advertise only those products and contents which are
appropriate for use by children.
• Avoid stereotyping: Gender and Ethnicity.
• Do not portray violence or aggression.

7. 7
Privacy and respect for persons
• Avoiding annoyance and harassment that can result
from inappropriate application of high-pressure sales
techniques
• Respect the wish for privacy
• Referring from causing unwanted distress by ensuring
the content of MC remains within generally accepted
boundaries
Taste and decency
• Advertising images may carelessly stereotype
people, groups, cultures and regions for
narrow commercial purposes.
• Use of shocking images needs to be
considered carefully.

8. 8
ETHICS AND PARTICULAR
MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS
Advertising: Key Ethical Issues
• Deception: consumers may believe the false
representation of a product to be true.
• Manipulation: Persuasion (legitimate) can turn into
manipulation (illegal).
• Offending: insulting, vulgar and offensive for the
tastes of many consumers.

9. 9
Advertising: Key Ethical Issues
• Stereotypes: Advertisements tend to portray certain
groups/minorities in a restricted manner.
• People buy things they don’t really need: consider
needs, wants and demands.
• Play with fear and insecurities: negative
consequences of not buying a product.
Ethics in PR
• Publicity is concerned with promoting good information
and handling negative information.
• Should be: legal, ethical, in good taste.
• Same ethical principles as Advertising are relevant.

10. 10
PR : Ethical Issues
• Editors giving publicity priority to those who advertise
with their publication.
• Bribing TV/radio/newspaper to run positive stories.
• Hiding information rather than addressing it (e.g.
BMW)
• Misrepresentation of information.
Personal Selling & Telemarketing:
Ethical Issues
• Much possibility for unethical behaviour. e.g. medical
sales.
• Easier to make unsubstantiated claims and
undeliverable promises.
• Unethical practices can result in lost customers,
dissatisfied with questionable business practices.
• Problem of untargeted calling and calling at odd hours.

11. 11
Guidelines
• Sales force managers should have a means of voicing
concerns about corporate conduct.
• Adequate training and recognised procedures.
• State sales offers clearly and honestly.
• Train telemarketers in applicable laws.
• Restrict untargeted calling and timing of calls.
• Monitor all calls.
Online Communications:
Ethical Issues
• Similar to all direct communications.
• Cookies –issues of privacy.
• Obvious potential for market research.
• Pop-ups–captive audience.
• Spam–unsolicited bulk email.

12. 12
Packaging: Ethical Issues
• Label information:
• do not mislead about content;
• Packaging graphics:
• ensure images match actual product;
• Food labelling current concern: traffic light system of
retailers own?
Packaging: Ethical Issues
• Packaging safety:
• ensure dangerous products are safely
packaged.
• Environmental implications of packaging:
• reduce, recycle, reuse!

13. 13
Sales Promotion: Ethical Issues
• Manufacturers pay retailers for their willingness
to handle a new product.
• Promoter offers rewards which are never
delivered.
Self regulation
• Advertising Standards Authority: details of all
specialised codes to guide the production of
acceptable marketing communications:
• Decent, legal, honest, truthful
• Prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers
and society
• Visit www.asa.org.uk for more details.