ETHICAL MARKETING There are those among us who would argue that branding, marketing, and commercial communication are almost by definition – unethical. While I would argue that branding, marketing, and communication can be unethical – and often are unethical – they need not be so. It may well be unethical to promote fast food to […]

ETHICAL MARKETING There are those among us who would argue that branding, marketing, and commercial communication are almost by definition – unethical. While I would argue that branding, marketing, and communication can be unethical – and often are unethical – they need not be so. It may well be unethical to promote fast food to children, alcohol to teenagers and tobacco to anyone – but marketing need not do any of these things. While I would agree that it is unethical to dream up a product and then use consumer insights to create a demand that promotes un-necessary consumerism, branding, marketing, and communication need not and should not do any of these things. Branding, marketing, and communication can – and should be entirely ethical. Avoid unethical branding – create a culture and deliver.  There are few things I find more unethical in marketing or indeed in commerce more broadly than…