Marketing Communications

560 CHAPTER 16 ETHICAL ISSUES IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

omission. Although this principle seems obvious, it may be interpreted in a not so obvious

way. For instance, UK law allows for obvious untruths or exaggerations that are unlikely to

mislead because the audience would consider them as acceptable exaggerations.^17

In Figure 16.1 an overview is given of a number of rules of thumb for marketers facing

what appears to be an ethical dilemma.^18 Th e golden rule states that, when faced with a

decision that appears to have ethical implications, act in a way that you would expect others

to act towards you. Th e professional ethics rule states that you should take only actions

that would be viewed as proper by an objective panel of your professional colleagues. Th e

philosopher Kant’s categorical imperative means one should act in such a way that the action

taken under the circumstances could be a universal law of behaviour for everyone facing

those same circumstances. Th is rule is very similar to the deontological stance discussed

above. Th e TV test means that a manager should always ask if he or she would feel comfort-

able explaining this action on TV to the general public. Finally, the outcomes rule judges the

ethical quality of a decision in terms of performance, rewards, satisfaction and feedback. Th is

is a relativistic point of view that is consistent with the teleological principle discussed above.

Several ethical issues in marketing communications warrant further discussion. Th ey can

be divided on the basis of marketing communications practices or for a number of marketing

communications instruments.^19

Unethical marketing communications practices

Among commonly cited unethical communications practices are stereotyping, targeting

vulnerable groups, covert marketing and controversial marketing communications messages.

Stereotyping

Stereotyping is an automatic perceptual bias enabling people to construct simplifi ed images

of reality. Men and women are oft en depicted in a stereotypical way, and therefore marketing

communications are oft en accused of proclaiming and supporting conservative gender roles

in society. Also, the elderly are oft en depicted as ignorant and helpless, and other cultures

and/or ethnic groups are oft en portrayed in a stereotypical way that may off end them and

stimulate prejudices in society. But stereotyping can also be more subtle. For instance, child-

less women may be off ended by ads directed to mothers. In one of the cases that was brought

before the Jury of Ethical Practices (JEP) in advertising in Belgium, a woman complained

Figure 16.1 Rules of thumb when facing an ethical dilemma

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