Ethics in ISC

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Ethics in ISC
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• Marketers havent done a lot to create positive
  views of their industry. But theyve done many
  things unwanted spam and telemarketing,
  guerilla marketing, intrusive ads covering every
  blank space and less targeted, less informative
  communications that create more negative views.
  Its time for marketers to focus their business
  models on how to better deliver the kind of
  marketing that consumers really want, instead of
  assuming consumers are happy with fending off a
  daily deluge of marketing.
• J. Walker Smith, President, Yankelovich Partners

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2004 Yankelovich Study

• 60 of U.S. consumers have a more negative
  opinion of marketing advertising now than a few
  years ago
• 61 feel the amount of marketing advertising is
  out of control
• 65 feel constantly bombarded with too much
  marketing and advertising
• 59 feel most marketing and advertising has very
  little relevance to them

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• 61 feel most marketers and advertisers dont
  treat consumers with respect
• 65 think there should be more limits and
  regulations on marketing and advertising
• 69 are interested in products and services that
  would help them skip or block marketing
• 33 would be willing to have a slightly lower
  standard of living to live in a society without
  marketing and advertising

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Public Perceptions of Ad People

• 2002 Gallup Poll
• 9 said advertising professionals ethics were
  very high or high
• 50 said average
• 36 said poor or very poor
• Beat out car salesmen (6) and telemarketers (5)
• 1 Nurses (89)

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Ethical Perspectives

• Utilitarian
• Rights
• Fairness
• Common good
• Virtue
• Source Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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Utilitarian Perspective

• Consequences of actions/policies on those
  affected
• Of any two actions, the most ethical one will
  produce the balance of benefits over harms.

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Rights Perspective

• Based in peoples civil, political and economic
  rights
• Assumes people are rational and able to make
  their own decisions
• Act in ways that respect the dignity of other
  persons by protecting their legitimate moral
  rights.

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Fairness (Justice) Perspective

• Fairness consistency of treatment
• Do actions affect all fairly?
• Treat people the same unless there are morally
  relevant differences between them.

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Common Good Perspective

• Individual good derives from common good
• Members of a society are linked by values and
  goals
• What is ethical is what advances the common
  good.

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Virtue Perspective

• Emphasis on virtues such as honesty, courage,
  faithfulness, integrity
• What is ethical is what develops moral virtues
  in ourselves and our communities.

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Bell South Guidelines

• Is the action LEGAL?
• Does it comply with our VALUES?
• If I do it, will I feel BAD?
• How will this look in tomorrow mornings
  NEWSPAPER?

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Bell South Guidelines

• Since I know this is WRONG, I shouldnt do it!
• Since Im not sure, I should ASK someone!
• I should keep asking until I get an ANSWER!
• www.ethics.bellsouth.com

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Bell South Warning Signs

• Well, maybe just this once.
• No one will ever know.
• It doesnt matter how it gets done as long as it
  gets done.
• It sounds too good to be true.

• Everyone does it.
• Shred that document.
• We can hide it.
• No one will get hurt.
• Whats in it for me?
• This will destroy the competition.

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AAAA Standards of Practice

• Specifically, we will not knowingly create
  advertising that contains
• False or misleading statements or exaggerations,
  visual or verbal
• Testimonials that do not reflect the real opinion
  of the individual(s) involved
• Price claims that are misleading

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AAAA Standards of Practice

• Claims insufficiently supported or that distort
  the true meaning or practicable application of
  statements made by professional or scientific
  authority
• Statements, suggestions or pictures offensive to
  public decency or minority segments of the
  population

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AAAA Standards of Practice

• we agree not to recommend to an advertiser, and
  to discourage the use of, advertising that is in
  poor or questionable taste

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PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values

• Advocacy
• Honesty
• Expertise
• Independence
• Loyalty
• Fairness
• www.prsa.com

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PRSA Code Provisions

• Free flow of information
• Protecting and advancing the free flow of
  accurate and truthful information is essential to
  serving the public interest and contributing to
  informed decision making in a democratic society.

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PRSA Code Provisions

• Competition
• Promoting healthy and fair competition among
  professionals preserves an ethical climate while
  fostering a robust business environment.
• Disclosure of information
• Open communication fosters informed decision
  making in a democratic society.

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PRSA Code Provisions

• Safeguarding confidences
• Client trust requires appropriate protection of
  confidential and private information.
• Conflicts of interest
• Avoiding real, potential, or perceived conflicts
  of interest builds the trust of clients,
  employers, and the publics.

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PRSA Code Provisions

• Enhancing the profession
• Public relations professionals work constantly
  to strengthen the publics trust in the
  profession.

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DMA Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice

• Terms of the offer
• Advance consent marketing
• Marketing to children
• Special offers and claims
• Sweepstakes

• Fulfillment
• Collection, use and maintenance of marketing data
• Online marketing
• Telephone marketing
• Fund-raising

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Major ethical dilemmas

• Sin products?
• Kids?
• Depictions of women?
• Depictions of minorities?