Introduction
Advertising is the process of spreading information about a product or service to the public to promote it. This description of advertisements presents an ethical dilemma in how the information used in an ad can be delivered to the customer. On the one hand, advertisements’ main goal is to let the potential customer learn about the product; thus, the truthfulness of relayed information is vital. On the other hand, the advertised object or service has to attract people and generate interest. Therefore, information about it has to be disseminated in the most profitable way possible. In these two statements lies the foundation for advertising ethics – an exploration of what is considered morally permissible and good for the public while supporting the business’s commercial needs. This paper considers the sphere of advertising ethics and their importance, considers the types and benefits of advertisements and provides several examples of current ethical issues in advertisements.
Advertising Ethics
An advertisement can be described as a story about a product told from the point of view that is most attractive to the potential customer. Thus, an ad has to share some facts about a product – but it also has to interpret them in a way to make this product the most desirable good on the market. As a result, the story told by a marketing team uses the information they have to build a specific narrative. In this case, the issue of ethics arises – similar to journalism, advertisement is the process of constructing the story around a certain truth. The news media is built on several ethical values, including accuracy, confirmation, dignity, sufficiency, and equity (Wilkins & Patterson, 2008). These principles can also be used for advertising, as the two media types share the basic underlying idea of presenting information to the public.
While the goal of journalism is to persuade the public to believe in a certain idea, advertising aims to sell a product. An advertisement’s persuasion has a commercial point of view – it advocates for a client. The goal of being ethical in presenting information truthfully and sufficiently may come into conflict with the need to display the client’s product in the most attractive way. The history of this clash is covered in several court decisions, which outline that advertisement falls under the protection of free speech, but only partially. Ads may be regulated if they are misleading or deceptive, but they enjoy a degree of protection that other professionals often debate. For example, healthcare providers often challenge the protection of commercial speech because it harms people by omitting information or refusing to put warning labels (Pomeranz et al., 2020). Therefore, the issue of ethical advertising remains a topic of debate.
To measure the ethical persuasion of an advertisement, one can use the TARES test. The test includes five principles that help determine the ad’s use and presentation of information (Belanche, 2018). First, the message of the advertisement needs to be truthful. Second, it has to have an authentic claim – the message must be sincere and not mislead the consumer. Next, the receiver of the ad has to be treated with respect, implying that the advertiser takes responsibility for the contents of the message. The following principle is equality between the advertiser and the consumer – this value means that the message has to be presented in a clear, understandable way. Finally, the advertisement’s message must be socially responsible, aiming to improve society. These values are similar to the journalistic principles outlined above, although they focus on the limits of persuasion rather than information sufficiency.
The Importance of Ethics
The role of ethics in advertising is the same as in other spheres dealing with truth and lies. Advertisements must be ethical in order not to mislead consumers. The concept of truth lies at the core of advertising ethics – receivers of ads have to see truthful information to make choices. If ethics did not exist in advertising, people would be surrounded by false data and would not be continuously misguided about their options. Furthermore, in the modern world, ethical advertising is vital for companies to build and maintain a relationship with their customers. Due to the use of social media and increased information flow, individuals value honesty and a transparent conversation about products (Amazeen, 2022). Ethical principles allow businesses to show consumers how they can positively influence society and contribute to people’s needs.
To review the importance of ethics, one can look at native advertising as a present source of concern. Amazeen (2022) states that native advertising can be used by companies to “muddle” the information surrounding a product. As an example, the author describes a campaign created by a tobacco company to diminish the potential negative effects of vaping. Several trusted newspapers, such as The New York Times, published articles written by a tobacco company lobbyist who openly questioned the science behind tobacco’s adverse health outcomes (Gilchrist, 2022). While the news sources admitted that the article was a paid advertisement, its presentation resembled news more than a traditional ad, potentially misleading customers. Therefore, based on the TARES test, such publications cannot be considered ethical as they are not authentic or socially responsible, mismanaging the facts surrounding the tobacco industry and health.
Types and Benefits of Advertising
Currently, many types of advertising exist, and each of them has specific goals. One of the oldest sources of ads is print media, including newspapers, magazines, and brochures. Print advertising aims to reach a particular audience and become a physical reminder of a product or service. Some print materials can also be sent directly to the receiver through the mail. The next category is television advertising – video advertisements can be placed between programs or during a short break while the program airs. Here, the visuals are supplemented by sound, making an ad more striking. With the development of new technology, the ad types also evolved into a podcast, mobile, social media, and search engine advertisements. Finally, one of the latest shifts in marketing is native advertising, in which ads are integrated into other content such as news, articles, and personal stories.
Overall, advertising has many benefits for businesses, consumers, and the market. Advertisements are used to show new products to a broad audience. They are primarily used to drive sales and help the company compete in the market. As a result, they also allow customers to make an informed purchasing decision, especially if ads follow the ethical principles outlined above. Furthermore, advertisements are necessary for companies to build their reputation and brand. Overall, they are a valuable tool for establishing a connection between businesses and consumers.
Conclusion
Advertising is an integral part of connecting companies and consumers, and it helps promote products and drive competition. However, to not mislead customers, ads have to follow certain ethical principles. One framework that allows one to evaluate an advertisement’s moral persuasion is the TARES test. Ethics are essential for both people and businesses because they establish boundaries and prevent the spread of dangerous misinformation. The current concern surrounding this topic arises partly due to the integration of advertising into other types of content, which blurs the lines between marketing and journalism.
References
Amazeen, M. (2022). New forms of advertising raise questions about journalism integrity. The Conversation. Web.
Belanche, D. (2018). Ethical limits to the intrusiveness of online advertising formats: A critical review of Better Ads Standards.Journal of Marketing Communications, 25(7), 685-701. Web.
Gilchrist, M. (2022). Embracing science for better: If not now, when? New York Times. Web.
Pomeranz, J. L., Mozaffarian, D., & Micha, R. (2020). Sugar-sweetened beverage warning policies in the broader legal context: Health and safety warning laws and the first amendment.American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 58(6), 783-788. Web.
Wilkins, L., & Patterson, P. (2008). Media ethics: Issues and cases (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.