Marketing Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies

Introduction to Marketing Ethics and Social Responsibility

An ethical plan and strategy is integral to an organization's overall commitment to social responsibility. In "Marketing Ethics and Social Responsibility," Marinova (2013) first discusses the general importance of ethics as a marketing strategy, in order to promote the brand as one that is socially responsible and thereby position the organization not just ethically but also strategically within the marketplace. Marinova (2013) then defines terms related to ethics and corporate social responsibility to help organizations identify their weaknesses in these areas and make strong commitments to revising their ethical policies, particularly in marketing. Moreover, the author offers direct marketing solutions related to specific issues such as false advertising and the sale of potentially harmful products — from toys containing lead paint to food products linked to obesity or other diseases.

The significant strengths of the Marinova (2013) article are only partially offset by methodological constraints, the lack of experimental design, and a limited number of external, secondary, or primary source references. Nevertheless, the article provides a roadmap for future research and pragmatic application on the part of its audience: corporations and their leaders.

Ethical Dilemmas in Food Industry Marketing

In an organization that manufactures and distributes food, for example, Marinova (2013) explains how "false advertising, intentional sale of harmful products… deceptive advertising, bribery in private sale," and "false statements about a product" are clear-cut ethical dilemmas (p. 535). The problem with correcting ethical decisions like these, according to the author, is that most decisions are not made by individuals with the express power to override company policies or marketing decisions. Instead, marketing strategies and overall plans are developed over time and by groups of people. Thus, marketing ethical oversights can be particularly pernicious in nature and may persist over time, even without the direct complicity of individual employees.

Even issues that seem relatively clear-cut — such as false advertising or the sale of products known to cause health problems — can create conflict when "good business" practices outlined by an organizational or marketing department leader come into tension with an individual employee's ethical philosophy. This tension highlights why marketing ethics must be addressed at the structural and cultural level, not merely the individual one.

Organizational Strategies for Resolving Marketing Ethics Issues

The core factors Marinova identifies for solving ethical dilemmas within specific workplace organizations like General Mills include personal moral philosophy, organizational relationship building, and maximizing opportunities. These are three of the leading organizational strategies substantiated by empirical research in the field of marketing ethics. For example, Marinova's (2013) analysis of the causes of and solutions to common marketing mistakes is reflected in the research by Ferrell and Ferrell (2016), whose work focuses particularly on corporate social responsibility in marketing channels and supply chains. Using General Mills as an example, marketing channel and supply chain concerns would relate to issues such as environmental ethics linked to sugar and grain production around the world, and fair trade wages for partnering farms.

Although Ferrell and Ferrell (2016) focus more specifically on how corporate social responsibility and ethics in supply chain management apply to apparel retailers, the connection to the retail food industry is apparent. Likewise, Maignan and Ferrell (2004) conceptualize corporate social responsibility within a marketing framework and explain how it can be directly integrated into organizational norms of behavior and into a marketing strategy that retains stakeholder value. The information in the Maignan and Ferrell (2004) research also reinforces Marinova's (2013) investigation of corporate social responsibility and ethics, underscoring the consistency of these themes across the marketing literature.

Conclusion: Applying Marinova's Ethical Roadmap

Overall, the Marinova (2013) article remains especially fruitful for providing a company or organization with a guideline for future ethical behavior and improvements to its ethical plan. Given the diversity of ethical frameworks across cultural and business environments, marketing managers would do well to heed Marinova's (2013) advice to "carefully balance their obligations to owners or shareholders" while also demonstrating that ethical behavior in marketing is conducive to meeting the organization's overall goals.

References

Ferrell, O. C., & Ferrell, L. (2016). Ethics and social responsibility in marketing channels and supply chains: An overview. Marketing Channels, 23(1–2).

Maignan, I., & Ferrell, O. C. (2004). Corporate social responsibility and marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 32(1), 3–19.

Marinova, N. (2013). Marketing ethics and social responsibility. Trakia Journal of Sciences, 11(1), 535–538.