Marketers are faced with ethical challenges when advertising their products via mass media; the most challenge is to come up with adverts that do not divide the community in social classes or in lines of economic welfare; one burning question in the profession is whether it’s ethical for marketers to use the mass media to promote products that most members of the lower class or working class cannot afford.
This paper seeks to support that it’s ethical to market for the well to do in the community using mass media. When choosing the market segment marketers have the option of choosing incomes differences as the mode of their marketing; when using this approach, the market is divided into low class, working class and high class; entirely there is no problem advertising over the mass media despite the products being marketed not affordable for the low and medium income earners; however some factors need not be considered.
The advert should not be made in such a way that the less fortunate feel oppressed or discriminated by the system, the marketers should look into their language, mode and the tone of the advert. When making an advert, the marketers should look for a language that the target market would understand without creating any suspicion on other potential markets.
For instance, the advert may have a harmonious message that does to hurt or stick in the minds of low earners but speaks volumes to the well to do in the society. Auguring that it will be unethical to advertise for the well doing societal members through mass Medias will result to not considering their rights to be informed and to the company making such products it will have issues reaching the markets.
When coming up with an advert, what makes the action ethical or non-ethical is the mind of the marketer as well as the implications that the advert is likely to offer; when the process is well conducted, it will be able to differentiate the well to do and the less fortunate without creating some tension among them.
In well structured societies (where equality is advocate for and measures enacted to attain it), adverts can be source of inspiration and motivation to the less fortunate as they look forward to afford the lifestyle portrayed and the end result is a society that appreciates the situation as it is and probably improves their conditions.
Adverts play a vital role in socialization; when children get used to see adverts for the high class, they are likely to develop the hunger to work hand to reach the lifestyle they can see; in the end, the adverts lead to societies that values hard-work. The adverts assist in opening the mind and grow the hunger for wealth creating. Actually, they should be seen as ethical adverts that can promote positive values and virtues in the society.
Despite the arguments that adverts for high class target over mass media is ethical, there are times that the adverts can be condemned for promoting some vices in communities as well as creating tension among societal classes. However, marketers should stamp their authority and come-up with generally acceptable adverts and marketing tools.
They should not seem to promote a sense of economical differences. Adverts should be made to reach the target market effectively and in no way create a feeling of discomfort to other members of the society.