Ethical and regulatory issues in the cosmetics industry

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Explanatory Speech Plan Part 1 1. The Ethical Aspects of Cosmetic Testing In any research undertaking involving human beings, the relevance of basic ethical principles cannot be overstated. This is more so the case in biomedical research such as cosmetic testing. Protection of the wellbeing of human subjects is paramount, regardless of the possible benefits associated with the study. Pattern of organization: problem-solution 2. Cosmetic Advertising Regulations The cosmetics industry is highly competitive. To remain relevant, businesses that operate in the said industry ought to, amongst other things, have in place marketing and advertising strategies that would guarantee sales. For this reason, customers ought to be protected from claims that could be misleading with regard to the various characteristics as well as efficacy of cosmetic products offered for sale. Pattern of organization: problem-solution 3. Cosmetic Products Liability Issues Although the cosmetic industry is deemed profitable, with most of the players in the industry being able to maintain health margins over the years, liability claims could effectively cripple a company’s operations. There are various strategies cosmetic companies could adopt in a bid to avert liability claims. Pattern of organization: topical Part 2 1. The Ethical Aspects of Cosmetic Testing I feel that human beings have inherent dignity that ought to be respected. I would present a speech of this kind to my classmates so as motivate them to be ambassadors for the adoption of ethical principles in the formulation and development of cosmetic products. 2. Cosmetic Advertising Regulations In my opinion, consumers ought to be protected from false claims. This speech would be offered to my classmates so that they would appreciate the fact that true representation of a product’s efficacy supersedes the profit potential of false claims. 3. Cosmetic Products Liability Issues I am convinced that to be successful in the long-term, businesses ought to ensure that they have in place appropriate checks and structures to ensure that the products they offer for sale do not harm consumers. A speech of this nature would be presented to my classmates so as sensitize them early enough on some of the issues they could encounter in practical work scenarios. Part 3 The topic that would lend itself to the strongest speech in this case is ‘cosmetic advertising regulations.’ My topic addresses a contemporary issue. It is important to note that the cosmetics industry is fiercely competitive. For this reason, businesses could be tempted to cut corners in not only disparaging competition in advertising campaigns, but in the presentation of misleading advertisements. Adhering to cosmetic advertising regulations in place would protect consumers of cosmetic products from making purchase decisions based on misleading claims, while at the same time protecting companies from stiff penalties arising from the contravention of the said regulations.

Part 4 One of the concepts that my audience could find difficult to understand is the long-term consequence of making subtle misleading, but harmless, claims about a cosmetic product. This is more so the case given that my classmates are convinced that one of the most important goals of business entities is ‘profit maximization.’ In the advertising world, it is common practice to overstate the merits of a product using various strategies (i.e. by using colorful language). Therefore, there is effectively a thin line between what is deemed acceptable representation and what is not. For my audience, this line could be too thin to even be noticeable. The strategy to be used in explaining this concept is ‘difficult to picture.’ In this case, I could state: “one of the most effective approaches to facilitating or enhancing adherence to cosmetic advertising regulations would be by way of ensuring that all claims made have adequate backup in the form of verifiable evidence…..” Part 5 1. Difficult Language In my upcoming speech, I will use this strategy by way of explaining complex legal terms as used in cosmetic advertisement regulations already in place. 2. Difficult to Picture Towards this end, I could make use of a quasi-scientific explanation whereby I will seek several caricatures that present various scenarios of the concept, and actively make use of appropriate previews to draw a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable advertising practices. 3. Difficult to Believe In this case, I could make the engagement with my audience interactive by asking them to define a specific concept, i.e. ‘what constitutes false or inappropriate advertising.’ Most would likely fail to acknowledge the need for ‘verifiable evidence.’ I could then seek to present the appropriate position of ‘what constitutes false or inappropriate advertising.’ Part 6 The three experts I could potentially interview about my choice of topic include my father, my brother, and Jie G. Fowler - a university professor. 1. My Father My father is a cosmetics industry expert in Korea. He is knowledgeable about contemporary issues impacting upon the cosmetics industry across the world. He would provide meaningful insights on the laws and regulations governing advertising of cosmetic products and how the said laws differ from one jurisdiction to another. 2. My Brother My brother is an executive in one of the cosmetic companies with global operations. He would be a valuable source of information on the current corporate practices as far as cosmetic product advertising is concerned. 3. Jie G. Fowler – Department of Marketing and International Business, Langdale College of Business, University of Nebraska Fowler co-authored an interesting research piece titled, ‘deception in cosmetics advertising: examining cosmetics advertising claims in fashion magazine ads.’ He would offer meaningful insights on the motivations for false advertising and the regulatory regime in place to curb false representations. I will be contacting Fowler via email.