make ethics a competitive advantage and differentiater Given the findings of the Royal Commission into the banking sector, this is surely the right time to be discussing the importance of ethics in business. This is the third in a series of five thoughts addressing ethics in business and, more specifically, in marketing. In an environment […]

make ethics a competitive advantage and differentiater Given the findings of the Royal Commission into the banking sector, this is surely the right time to be discussing the importance of ethics in business. This is the third in a series of five thoughts addressing ethics in business and, more specifically, in marketing. In an environment in which fewer and fewer businesses are trusted by fewer and fewer people, there is a very real opportunity for businesses with the capability and sincerity to take a strong ethical position and build an ethical brand. In an environment in which trust drives brand loyalty and the perception of ethical behaviour drives the level of trust, there is surely an opportunity for more businesses to use ethics and the demonstration of ethical behaviour as a strategy for building repeat business and referrals. These contentions are supported by recent research in the United states, which…