Introduction
In the field of advertising, the guidelines for ensuring an ethical approach to products and service promotion are a vital issue. When initiating a marketing strategy and attempting to popularize a particular brand, the executives are always forced to consider the impact of the chosen approach on the target audience (Patterson & Wilkins, 2013). In the business environment, all enterprises are expected to follow the doctrines of corporate social responsibility, preventing such adverse effects of inappropriate promotion as indecency and enrichment through unethical means. Therefore, researchers and company owners have dedicated additional efforts to developing regulations for ethical advertising conduct (The Arthur W. Page Center, n.d.). Considering that incorrectly performed advertising campaigns can negatively influence the public, leading to such consequences as misrepresentation of knowledge and unethical persuasion, ethical advertising remains a crucial question in the present consumer society.
Types of Advertising
In the modern age, several methods can be implemented to promote an organization’s products or services among the target audience. Typically, three modes of advertising are utilized to distinguish between the various approaches to brand promotion, namely Above-The-Line (ATL), Below-The-Line (BTL), and Through-The-Line (TTL) advertising. In Above-The-Line advertising, the necessary activities are performed at the macro-level, which typically refers to national, regional, or international actions aimed at promoting a certain product or service (Reeves, 2017). Considering the large span of such endeavors, the organization implementing ATL is required to use global sources of advertising, such as particular types of social media. Television, cinema, radio, newspapers, and magazines can be utilized in this approach to impact a broad audience and establish a positive image for the brand.
At the micro-level, Below-The-Line advertising can be especially efficient. To conduct this promotional method, the company executives must follow the goal of building loyalty among the target consumers. Contrastingly to the ATL approach, BTL is focused on adapting to the individuals’ needs according to their preferences and desires (Reeves, 2017). Nevertheless, as the main customer group is still the mass audience, enterprises typically use such measures as direct mail, sponsorship, public relations, and telemarketing.
Finally, Through-The-Line advertising is considered a more integrated communication approach, which allows the firms to remain in close contact with current and potential buyers. In TTL, the brand is expected to utilize various communication pathways to approach the consumers, conducting an advertising campaign across various types of media that can potentially influence the customers’ choices (Reeves, 2017). From this perspective, TTL includes the aspects of both ATL and BTL, suggesting such promotional activities as television, radio, social media, public networks, and personalized emails.
Benefits of Advertising
As a marketing strategy, advertising has several distinct advantages that help the corporation to promote its standing and improve society. For business owners, advertising can be an efficient means of promoting their products and services among different audiences, which is necessary for elevating the level of customer reach (Patterson & Wilkins, 2013). In addition, this activity ensures that customers are aware of the company’s brand and its primary characteristics, meaning that they can make an informed decision about purchasing the suggested products (The Arthur W. Page Center, n.d.). After that, a productive advertising strategy can improve the organization’s position in the market, securing extra advantages against the competition. Considering that overcoming the opponents is crucial for positive growth and may help improve the customers’ interest in the brand, relevant advertising methods must be included in the firm’s marketing strategy (Amazeen, 2022). Nevertheless, such activities should always be conducted in consideration of the ethical standards established by advertising ethics.
The Major Principles of Advertising Ethics
Contemporary business practices are consistently governed by the ethical standards developed for the fields of communications, public relationships, and corporate responsibility. Considering the substantial impact that a company may have on a particular audience, ensuring the ethicality of its endeavors and promoting decent advertising behaviors are vital procedures (Amazeen, 2022). Advertising ethics is the sphere that defines and describes the guidelines for the interactions between the seller and buyer, introducing methods for preserving decency within promotional campaigns (Patterson & Wilkins, 2013). Although the scope of modern advertising is quite expansive, covering various types of communication channels and interactive modes, the basic idea, as suggested by advertising ethics, is to maintain appropriateness when promoting the brand (The Arthur W. Page Center, n.d.). Therefore, all companies must comply with the requirements of advertising ethics, following the ethical norms and carefully ascertaining the possible influence of their campaigns on the broad audience.
Another essential point covered by advertising ethics is the content of the marketing campaigns. Given the instances of knowledge fabrication and the possibility of misleading the consumers in an attempt to secure better financial outputs, advertising ethics prescribes that such activities cannot be condoned and are deemed unethical (Maheshwari, 2016). An appropriate promotional campaign must always adhere to the basic principles of ethical behavior, presenting truthful statements and avoiding any claims that can be misinterpreted by the audience (Maheshwari, 2016). In addition, the companies are expected not to use advertising for persuasion, as the primary objective of promotion should be the distribution of information to allow the customers to make informed decisions regarding their purchases (The Arthur W. Page Center, n.d.). As such, creating an image of a product that must be present in any household is an excellent example of an advertisement that integrates false claims and indecent promotional activities (Patterson & Wilkins, 2013). In this regard, advertising ethics allows for controlling the communication practices and mitigating instances of inappropriate marketing.
The Importance of Ethics in Advertising Activities
In light of the discussed evidence, the ethical approach to advertising appears to be a vital topic for the modern age. Considering the variety of media services that can be utilized to promote a certain product or service, it becomes relatively easy to influence the customers’ choices by creating a particular amount of pressure (Amazeen, 2022). Nevertheless, such actions are considered unethical and indecent, as they exploit the consumers’ vulnerabilities and can provide false information about specific ideas or events (Patterson & Wilkins, 2013). Ethical principles allow for regulating such behaviors, introducing guidelines for ethical practices, and clearly stating which activities can negatively affect society. From this perspective, integrating ethics into advertising is essential for ensuring that company-consumer communication is ethical and appropriate.
Conclusion
To conclude, the field of advertising ethics has been discussed in detail in this paper, outlining the possibility of unethical behaviors as the reason behind advertising ethics’ significance in the present customer society. The variety of promotional campaign types and the broad span of social media coverage create a pathway for corporations to influence the mass audience’s decisions. Through such measures, it becomes possible to promote a certain product or service as the most beneficial and necessary. Nevertheless, any advertisement must refrain from utilizing consumers’ vulnerabilities and providing false information, as such activities are considered unethical. As advertising ethics helps regulate the manifestations of indecent promotional campaigns, it remains a critical theme for the modern society and regulatory organizations.
References
Amazeen, M. A. (2022). New forms of advertising raise questions about journalism integrity. The Conversation. Web.
The Arthur W. Page Center. (n.d.). Introduction to public relations ethics. Web.
Maheshwari, S. (2016). Advertising’s moral struggle: Is online reach worth the hurt? The New York Times. Web.
Patterson, P., & Wilkins, L. (2014). Media ethics: Issues and cases (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Reeves, R. (2017). Reality In Advertising. Widener Classics.