In the article “Advertising and Freedom of Speech: Beware of the Food Nanny,” Robert Liodice gives the best argument about marketing and advertising. The author’s argument examines the connection between people’s rights and access to free information.
Every American citizen is entitled to free and unbiased information (Liodice, 2012). This fact explains why marketing and advertising processes should inform, educate, and attract the targeted consumer (Boss, 2012). The argument also supports our class readings. According to Liodice (2012), the marketer should provide the best information to the targeted consumer.
Every marketer should inform the consumer about his or her products. The consumer is entitled to accurate information. The consumer will make his or her decision about the service or product. The author goes further to explain why the guidelines presented by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) are questionable.
The guidelines make it impossible for citizens to enjoy their privileges and core values. The article explains why “such guidelines are heavy-handed and ill-conceived” (Liodice, 2012, p. 336). The organization is forcing both the marketing and food industries to conform to such guidelines.
The class materials explain why marketers should communicate with their consumers. Every marketer has his or her targeted customers. This explains why every advertising strategy should contain the best message to capture the attention of the consumer.
According to Boss (2012), the customer should be free to purchase the best services and products from the market. The duty of the marketer is to educate and inform the consumer about the unique features of his or her product (Ortiz, 2012). Any attempt to regulate the advertising process denies every citizen his or her rights and democratic privileges.
Marketers can use different methods or practices to inform their consumers about available services or products. These methods should be legally acceptable and ethical. The agency’s idea to dictate the use of various marketing incentives and cross-promotions is wrong (Ortiz, 2012).
The guidelines presented by CSPI makes it impossible for the consumer to get firsthand information from the marketer (Boss, 2012). This explains why the move will affect the marketing freedoms possessed by different entrepreneurs, such as restaurants, food businesses, and broadcasters.
The author’s argument explains how “both marketing and advertising practices can affect the decisions made by consumers” (Liodice, 2012, p. 337). Every parent or guardian should control the kind of information availed to his or her child. The parent should also ensure his or her child eats healthy foods.
The argument is also meaningful because it encourages every person to eat healthy foods to have a good life (Boss, 2012). This argument can help many people in society.
The author also examines why obesity and childhood nutrition remains a major challenge in the United States. The course materials also support the author’s argument. The materials encourage every person to embrace the best health practices. Marketers and businesspeople should produce the best products and services to address the needs of their consumers.
The government should allow these marketers to provide the best information to their consumers through uncontrolled advertising strategies. According to Boss (2012), society needs to accept the existing challenge of obesity instead of attacking marketers and entrepreneurs.
Parents and guardians should read this article to encourage their children to take balanced diets and engage in physical activities. Any attempt to characterize some products as bad or good will kill many companies. The practice will also make it impossible to market the products to targeted consumers.
Reference List
Boss, J. (2012). Think: Critical Thinking and Logic Skills for Everyday Life. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Liodice, R. (2012). Advertising and Freedom of Speech: Beware of the Food Nanny. In J. Boss (Ed.), Think: Critical Thinking and Logic Skills for Everyday Life (pp. 336-337). New York, USA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Ortiz, J. (2012). Robert Liodice Response [Web log post].