After today’s class lecture (February 22, 2011) I wanted to take a look at ads on YouTube to find an example of an advertisement that seemed, or had proven to be unethical. When I got to the sight the first word I typed in the search box was unethical. Without having written any other word unethical commercials, unethical advertising, and unethical ads were the first three suggestions to appear. Similar suggestions from Google’s search box appeared as well. After seeing this I came to the conclusion that unethical practices are more commonly used and associated with marketing than any other industry.
Though many advertisements in the past have appeared to have problems with ethics, I believe that there is a changing trend in marketing ethics. With the recent storm of energy and eco-friendly products, I believe that companies are recognizing the value of being ethical and following a more philanthropic marketing strategy. A good example of this changing trend is the Audi A3 TDI, which was featured in the 2010 Super Bowl advertisements. The car won "Green car of the Year" from the Green Car Journal for its clean diesel technology. The commercial incorporates a comedic police force called the “Green Police” that arrest people and give out tickets for behavior that the view environmentally hazardous. Though advertisements have been incorporating aspects meant to improve the quality of life, it is important to remember that their philanthropic, ethical, and legal responsibilities all rest on the businesses’ main responsibility, which is profitability.
Do you believe that the recent trend of socially responsible advertisements is a genuine philanthropic approach, or a marketing device to increase profitability?
No comments:
Post a Comment