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Sophie Hassell
Professor Jizi
University Writing 1103
8 December 2015
Ethical Marketing and Examples Marketing Controversies
Watching TV, surfing the internet, or flipping through a magazine opens society to the
many forms of marketing. With the ever expanding aspects of media, many companies
aggressively market their products to all types of people to expand their profits. In many cases,
these marketing ploys are said to cross an inconclusive line into unethical territory ("Ethics of
Marketing" 73). Judgment of the how ethical a marketing strategy is can be perceived differently
depending on who is discussing it. I experienced a situation like this with a friend. We passed a
Victorias Secret store with a Perfect Body advertisement hanging in the window. While my
friend and I agreed this was unethical marketing because it labels the unrealistic model body as
perfect, others may say it is ethical because the company has an image to maintain. I thought this
was very interesting and wanted to explore how marketing ethics are prominent in todays society
and discover examples of marketing campaigns that have been deemed unethical.
Marketing establishes a presence in everybodys lives, whether it is consciously noticed
or not. Many people voice their opinions when they discover some controversial marketing
campaign. This begins a discussion on the ethics of said campaign. When companies enter the
unethical territory in their marketing ways, it is up to the customer to voice their opinions.
Marketing ethics is not bound by laws and regulations like other aspects of business. Instead,
companies make conscious decisions to use unethical marketing to promote their products
("Ethics of Marketing" 76). Such creates a sense of distrust and anger among a variety of people.

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If companies begin to practice only ethical marketing, people will be able to trust what is being
marketed rather than worry about hidden malpractice. With the increase of technology and
utilization of the media, marketing ethics have become a serious issue. Many companies
infiltrate different channels to make their products known. People have taken these matters into
their own hands by starting protests and spreading their refusal to purchase from certain
companies. To ensure fair practice and marketing ethics, it is important to understand the
ideology behind marketing campaigns.
Issues facing the marketing world have been prominently featured through the news and
media. Many individuals are aware of unethical behavior in the business world and make this
clear by the actions they take. In the 1970s, unethical marketing ploys were revealed by the
company Nestl. It was discovered that Nestl aggressively promoted their baby formula to third
world mothers while aware of the fatal consequences of their product (Boyd 284). This
demonstrates how determined companies are to make a profit and how willing they are to neglect
ethical behavior. The article, "Urban Outfitters' Controversy a "Mistake" or Marketing Ploy,"
demonstrates another example of aggressive marketing to expand profit by the retail company,
Urban Outfitters. Over the years, many controversial items have been placed on the shelves of
the clothing store. Among such include a seemingly bloody Kent State sweatshirt, a t-shirt of an
underage model posed sexually, and a shirt baring the words eat less being worn by an
extremely skinny model. Urban Outfitters is utilizing outrage marketing, which is creating
great controversy and discussion from many people. In return, Urban Outfitters intrigues people
to enter their store and make purchases. Although the publicity sounding the company is widely
negative, Urban Outfitters profits have greatly increased because of outrage marketing (Brock
and Kiriakos 1). While some companies choose to disregard ethics in their marketing endeavors,

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others find themselves in the questionable grey area. The group of children called Tweens
are responsible for billions of the dollars in retail sales. Knowing this, companies target said
group when marketing. In recent years, young agents have been hired to test out many
products with their friends. Although seemingly mundane, these agents are taught at a young age
to exploit their friends and make their peers desire material products (Dakss 1). This grey area
questions whether marketing to these young children is appropriate or unethical. The shoe brand,
TOMS is also in this grey area. While on paper the company looks promising and practicing
ethical marketing, many have found ways to declare the company as unethical in their business
techniques. This discussion is based off the idea that those involved in the purchasing and
distributing are well-off and are simply doing the minimum to help the children (Murphy and
Laczniak 141). This goes to show that anyone can find an ethical issue in almost every marketing
campaign.
After reading and and researching marketing ethics, I have realized the complexity
behind determining what is ethical and what is not. An intriguing example of this are the
advertisements at NASCAR. Many of the cars are covered in ads from alcohol companies. This
sparks the question if it is ethical to market alcohol on racecars when drinking and driving is a
prominent issue in todays society ("Ethics of Marketing" 76). While this legal to do, it stirs up
great debate from the general public. This questionable marketing way explains how difficult it is
to strictly determine if a product is being marketing ethically or not. In some cases, it is clear that
the company is being extremely unethical, such as the Nestls baby formula scandal, but others
are debated by many different perspectives. It is interesting to learn how the customers and
general public have a great effect on a companys marketing strategy. People have the ability to
voice their distaste with a companys actions and make their unethical behavior known to the

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public. For me, much of the information I have discovered through my research has inspired me
to take a stand. I have made the decision to no longer purchase products from the company
Nestl. Although their 1970s boycott was only discussed, this same repulsive dereliction has
continued to be present in the company today. By sharing this information with people who will
also stop purchasing their products, I am doing my part to voice my dislike with the companys
unethical marketing.
Learning about marketing ethics and how many companies have violated the general
understanding of ethics has inspired me to pursue a career in business and marketing. I want to
be able to figure out and employ marketing ethics so my future company does not have to face
negative publicity. It is important for readers to understand that marketers are eager to make
money and will do just about anything to ensure a profit. It is also important for readers to realize
that they have the power to determine the fate of a company. Unethical marketing will continue
to expand in todays society if the customer permits it. By taking stands against unethical
behavior, the general public can help regulate proper marketing strategies. It is when people stop
caring about ethics in marketing that things get out of hand. As media and technology continue to
expand, marketing is going to intensify in our daily lives. I want to learn more about what the
future of marketing will entail and if any company has remained purely ethical in their marketing
ways. Although the companies whom have faced ethical dilemmas are more abundant in the
media, I would like to read more about how companies have remained ethical. It will be
interesting to learn why some companies consciously choose to exploit their company for an
increase in profit. Also, I want to know how or if laws can be implemented to control unethical
marketing. There is so much more I want to know and I am eager to explore this topic more. As I
finish my degree and enter into the workforce, I know to look out for and employ marketing

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ethics. Hopefully, there are others like me who want to make a difference in how businesses
conduct their marketing. The future of marketing ethics lies in the hands of the people and I can
not wait to see how it continues to develop into the future.

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Works Cited
Boyd, Colin. "The Nestl Infant Formula Controversy and a Strange Web of Subsequent
Business Scandals." J Bus Ethics Journal of Business Ethics 106.3 (2011): 283-93. Print.
Brock, Sam, and Kinsey Kiriakos. "Urban Outfitters' Controversy a "Mistake" or Marketing
Ploy?" NBC Bay Area. 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Dakss, Brian. "Marketing to "Tweens" Going Too Far?" CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 14 May
2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
"Ethics of Marketing." Sage Brief Guide to Marketing Ethics. Ed. Lisa Shaw. Los
Angeles: SAGE, 2012. 72-86. Print.
Murphy, Patrick E., and Eugene R. Laczniak. "TOMS: One for One Movement!" Ethics in
Marketing: International Cases and Perspectives. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2012.
133-142. Print.