LOLA ZALUSKI
MARKETING & SOCIETY
ETHICAL MARKETING IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION
Branded Spokescharacters are often employed to promote children's products. A well-know example of this method of marketing to child consumers is the use of "Snap", "Crackle" and "Pop", promoting Kellogg's Rice Krispies, a popular children's breakfast cereal.
It has been proven that spokes characters are an effective means of advertising to children. Indeed, through the introduction of spokepersons in its advertising, Kellogg's Rice Krispies associates the brand with a positive emotion to embed it in the minds of its prospective consumers. Consequently, the brand became a part of children consciousness. We could say that this marketing practice is “manipulative” as it triggers children feelings and emotions towards a particular brand. This marketing technique heavily influences children's choice, who in return influence the purchasing decisions of their parents or caregivers.
One ethical question here especially surrounds in targeting children, who are being seen as vulnerable. Indeed, some claim that children lack the ability to distinguish commercial messages from regular television programming, and are therefore more easily persuaded towards buying unhealthy products. As a consequence, this unethical marketing practice could lead to health problems, such as childhood obesity.
Another ethical issue could be on whether or not marketers have too much power over certain groups who are not prepared to independently participate in the marketplace. Indeed, one major ethical question involves the extent to which marketers can freely treat children as "consumers in training" subject to pretty much the same promotions as the rest of the market.
Laczniak, G. (2012). "Ethics of Marketing," in SAGE Brief Guide to Business Ethics. Los Angeles: SAGE.
McGinnis, J., Gootman, J. and Kraak, V. (2006). Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
LEGO USED 9/11 ATTACKS AS AN ADVERTISING TOOL (2005)
The theme of September 11 attacks is very difficult to address. Never has a terrorist act been so much publicised, analysed, dissected, debated and questioned. 9/11 attacks remains definitely linked to one of the greatest tragedies modern history.
Even though this subject is still very sensitive and touchy, it has nonetheless inspired some advertising companies. In 2005, Saatchi & Saatchi China thought it was appropriate to merge this event with LEGO in order to create this print ad entitled "Rebuild it." The advert depicts the buildings of New York City made out of LEGO, with the central focus being the burning Twin Towers. The advert implies that the damage portrayed is reversible; it can be simply be ‘rebuilt’ with LEGO pieces.This advertising campaign has generated world-wide outrage.LEGO had to withdraw it after making a formal apology.
Personally, I find that the use of the 9/11 tragedy makes LEGO seems as naive and disrespectful, even if they intended the comment to be genuine and caring. This advertising strategy of using tragic events to advertise its products could be beneficial but was very risky. Companies have to be extremely careful when choosing which events they refer to in their marketing campaigns, as some references might be seen as unethical.
THE DARLING OF THE CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY FAN CLUB IS ... TOMS!
From following the emerging trend of social responsibility, TOMS has kicked off a wave of businesses that 'do-good' as part of their business model.
TOMS Shoes created an out-of-the-box solution to its objective of helping the poor. The company is established on the principle that it would donate one pair of shoes to a child in need, for every pair of TOMS shoes sold. This concept is called "One for One". The power of the social cause and CSR activities is being directly linked to the purchase of the company products. Thud, by making a cause the center of its activities, the cause itself is contributing to the revenues and profitability of the company.
What makes it work even better is the fact that a buyer would feel good in the knowledge that his or her purchase has actually helped a poor child. TOMS’s philanthropic mission is constantly reinforced throughout its website and marketing materials. On every page of its website, TOMS’ highlights its involvement with the community. This not only lets potential customers know the kind of company they are dealing with, but also reinforces TOMS’ brand values consistently across all channels. So far, the company's website states that it has provided more than 60 million pairs of shoes to children in need, in 70 countries across the world. As a result, it’s almost impossible to think of TOMS' without thinking of the company’s engagement with the society through their projects and corporate giving initiatives.
IS "PORNO CHIC" A THING? YSL ADS SHOCK PARISIANS AHEAD OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY (2017)
Earlier this year, Yves Saint Laurent campaigns have come under fire during Paris Fashion Week for promoting "porno chic", with ads that show an underweight model represented in a "humiliating position": the model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool for the camera.
The French advertising regulator Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité (ARPP) said the campaign "seriously contravenes" the advertising codes relating to "respect for decency, dignity and those prohibiting submission, violence or dependence, as well as the use of stereotypes."
I personally found that because of the postures of the woman, presented as offered to the passers-by, this advertising represent the woman as an object and suggest an idea of sexual submission. YSL trivialized sexist stereotypes and are in this sense likely to shock the public sensibility. Moreover, the campaign could be breaking rules around causing mental harm to adolescents. I immediately saw people taking over social media, especially on Twitter, to share their thoughts on the offending advertising campaign in France, using the hashtag #YSLRetireTaPubDegradante (#YSLRemoveYourDegradingAd).Because the messages conveyed did not comply with French cultural values and perceptions of consumers, the French designer of the famous luxury brand had to remove the campaigns as soon as possible.
To conclude, marketers have to be aware that not all advertising communications translate well across societies and cultures. Indeed, They might evoke strong emotional responses depending on societal or cultural perspectives and values.
Since Starbucks launched holiday cups in 1997, the design of the cups face annual culture war, usually due to complaints that the cups are decorated with enough Christmas symbol, or weren't "Christmas-y" enough.
This year, the Starbucks’ cups feature a busy print of holiday favorites like presents and a Christmas tree, and two unseen people are holding hands. Since the cups launched in October, people from different cultures took over Twitter with hypotheses that the androgynous hands may belong to a pair of lesbians, and felt offended. The idea may have sprung up from a video campaign Starbucks launched to advertise the holiday cups, which includes a pair of cartoon women who were shown holding hands. The nature of their relationship was not specified, but some viewers saw them as an affirmation toward the inclusion of gay and transgender customers.
We can conclude that marketing communications across different cultures can give rise to ethical challenges. Indeed, “individuals from different cultures process information differently” (Armstrong, 1996). Consequently, even though globalisation offers marketers opportunities to standardise their marketing activities and communications, it is vital for marketers to consider the differences in culture and perspectives when making decisions, as they play a crucial role on how these activities, communications and products are perceived. Moreover, with the increasing use of the Internet, brands are being rapidly exposed to criticisms. Thus, the conceptualization of business ethics within different cultural influences is a need to be addressed.
I however personally think that, even though marketers take into account cultural differences in the marketing mix, individuals will still manage to find a reason to be offended or critical.
Armstrong, R. (1996). The relationship between culture and perception of ethical problems in international Marketing. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(11), pp.1199-1208.
Dove apologised after launching their marketing campaign that depicted a white woman removing her top and turning into a female of other ethnicity. Because in the ad we can see a black woman removing her top and switching onto a white woman after supposedly using Dove body lotion, this video ad was quickly accused for racism.
For me, the message is clear: Dove celebrates diversity. Dove should have had the courage of its convictions, explained the images were taken out of context, and defended the fact that they didn’t believe the order in which the women appeared in the ad was critical to the overall message. Even the Nigerian-born model who appeared in the ad insisted this ad celebrates ethnic diversity: "I don’t feel it was racist," she said during the BBC interview.
This shows that under pressure, a brand that has done so much to raise awareness and elevate the conversation about self-esteem can doubt and act irrationally. Talking about race and body image is not a safe space for any brand. Yet Dove has a long history of addressing, in a genuine way, the insecurities with which many of us, both women and men, struggle. For this, it should be encouraged and not criticised.
Cayla is an internet-connected toy that talks and interacts with children by capturing and recording children’s communications and analyzing the recordings to determine the words spoken. These voice recordings are stored and used for a variety of purposes beyond providing for the toys’ functionality.
By purpose and design, these toys record and collect the private conversations of young children without any limitations on collection, use, or disclosure of this personal information. Then, the data collected from the toy is uploaded and stored in a cloud-based system. The toys subject young children to ongoing surveillance and are deployed in homes without any meaningful data protection standards. They pose an imminent and immediate threat to the safety and security of children.
Brand placement is particularly hard for children to understand because children focus their attention on the content and utilize fewer cognitive resources to consciously scrutinize and evaluate placed brands. Since the product placement is not disclosed, parents who purchase the doll for their children are unaware there is product placement in the conversations.
Internet-connected toys are very dangerous and parents lack the knowledge of the associated security dangers of using Smart toys like Cayla. It is a fact that smart toys pose grave privacy, security and similar other risks to children.
I find it outrageous that the toy has been released in 2015, and is still available on the market, even though it clearly breaches the Article 1 of the French Data Protection Act which provides that information technology “shall not violate human identity, human rights, privacy, or individual or public liberties”. Also, as the Figaro article claims: “in France, there is no specific legal regulations for Internet-connected toys” still two years after these ethical issues have been raised. Therefore, it clearly highlights the fact that laws aiming at the protection of millennial consumers are missing and the lack of strong sanctions against unethical and dangerous products, which should be banned from the market immediately.
Just before Christmas, McDonald’s used Snapchat’s new technology in a new innovative and exciting way.
Alongside the TV ad where a young girl decides to take her last carrot stick home for the reindeer on Christmas Eve, the same story is told on Snapchat. This partnership gave birth to a first of its kind hub where customers can unlock a Reindeer Face Lens, a festive filter, and an exclusive ‘Carrot Run’ game - built by MPC Creative. You can unlock the hub by scanning Snapcodes on McDonald’s Christmas packaging or by swiping up on special McDonald’s Snap Ads that is available to the Snapchatters in the UK.
A healthier alternative to cookies by the fireplace? Probably. However, by playing this game, I felt weird by the idea of being “a little girl running after carrots stick.” I found myself embarrassed, like I was running after a sexualised object. Young girls who are playing this game might not feel the same as they are more naïve and vulnerable. Therefore, even though for once McDonald’s promotes a healthier product, I find this advertising ambiguous and borderline as it can be interpreted in the wrong way.
The “Axe Effect” is well known in the world, assumed to draw women in hordes to any male who has sprayed himself with the Axe deodorant. The advertisements usually display a normal male but with oodles of self-assurance as an Axe user.
Not anymore.
In 2017, Axe took a completely different marketing turn tapping into a generational shift. By tapping into millennials’ disgust for traditional gender roles and shameless displays of masculinity, this new ad "Is It OK for Guys?" urges men to ditch macho stereotypes and embrace a more enlightened version of masculinity instead. The campaign makes use of Google’s autocorrect function to reveal the questions searched by thousands of men online. The key message here is to let men know that they are not alone in questioning the emotional constraints that is traditional manhood. Also, through this ad Axe exposes to societies the pressure guys feel to ‘be a man’ and empower them to be whoever they want.
I really like the fact that big businesses can use their voice to fight against ideologies within different societies and encourage individuals to re-think them, as they are evolving in the twenty-first century. AXE is the last brand I would expect to make this pivot. Even though it is for profit, this ad holds valuable lessons for the rest of us struggling against toxic masculinity, rooted in the values of societies for decades, but very likely to change in the twenty-first century.