A shared standard of truth in marketing

communications.
Consumers privacy should be
maintained at all times.
Endorsements should be clear and
transparent.
Government standards and regulations
must be adhered and practiced by
marketers.
Well-being of consumers

Ensure acknowledgment of consumers interests.

Reduced government regulations

To avoid such regulations and retain their freedom of

operations by caring for the consumers interest on a
voluntary basis.

Boost public image

Buyers form an opinion about the entire organization on the

basis of their contact with one person i.e. the person who
represents the marketing function (e.g. A sales clerk for retail
store) Ethical marketing behaviour can protect and improve
the image of the enterprise.
Regain Social Power

Marketing executives manage a great deal of social power

as they influence the markets and speak out an economic
issue.

Role of business leaders in marketing

Marketing activities should not be interpreted wrongly by

public as consisting of misleading packaging labels, false
claims in ads, phony list prices, and infringements of well
established trademarks.
To reverse the damaged reputation, business leaders must
demonstrate convincingly that they are aware of their
ethical responsibility and will set and enforce high ethical
standards.
 Do good not just to look good focus on
being responsible and how your firm can
truly help the neighborhood or country. It is
in doing so that your customers, the press,
and all those watching will be impressed.
Speak up against company policies that do
not reflect the ethical profile of the
company as the face of the company,
marketers should voice their concerns when
there is a potential for a practice to be
seen as unethical.
 Surrogate Advertising : In certain places
there are laws against advertising products
like cigarettes and alcohol. Surrogate
advertising finds ways to remind customers
of these products without referencing them
directly.
 Exaggeration : Some advertisers use false
claims about the products quality or
popularity.
 Puffery : When an advertiser relies on
subjective rather than objective claims ,
they are puffing up their products.
 Unverified Claims : Many products
promise to deliver results without providing
scientific evidence.
 Stereotyping Women : Women in
advertising often portrayed as sex objects
or domestic servants. This type of
advertising traffics in negative stereotypes
and contribute to sexist culture.
 Misleading & deceptive conduct : Avoid
any exaggerated claims or dishonest
promises that will cause the customers to
mistrust you and even determine the failure
of your brand.

Spam : Avoid flooding a customers

voicemail, mailbox, email or any other
means of communication with unsolicited
messages or aggressive advances.
 Bait advertising : Where a product is
advertised at a certain price without a
reasonable supply. Bait advertising is illegal
if a business sells the product knowing that
they cannot meet expected demand.

Sales Price Manipulation : Marking a

product on sale with a price higher than its
original price. Customers are tricked into
thinking that they are getting a bargain.
 Idea IIN : Idea steps by making the
internet theirs in a series of ad campaigns
which featured characters who join
achieve their dreams of learning.These ads
have led a number of people to believe
that Idea has an Institute which teaches
people different things, when, in actual,
IIN just refers to the internet and is not
different from what is provided by other
network providers. A complaint was also
filed with the ASCI on a particular ad where
a girl from Haryana empowers herself
through IIN, giving people the false
impression that IIN can provide education.
 Maggi ; The Maggi noodle controversy is
most likely one of the biggest ones to hit a
popular food item. While the advertisements
claimed the noodle to be a healthy and fast
food option for children, Maggi samples
collected from different states found
monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead in
excess of the prescribed limit in the instant
noodles. While the manufacturers, Nestle
have been taken to consumer court by the
government, a court had directed an FIR to
be lodged against celebrities Madhuri Dixit,
Amitabh Bhachhan and Priety Zinta for
acting in these ads for a fee.
 Dettol : Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare
Indias Dettol claims, that Only Dettol
gives 10x more protection against ger
ms. This was found to be misleading as
the soap, which contains germicidal
actives was compared to products
which does not have germicidal actives.
The claim was not substantiated by
comparing it with products which have
germicidal actives.