Published in CommPRO.biz 2013.07.08

Ethical Marketing

 

Marketing genius Seth Godin brought us up sharp with an on-the-mark blog post. He pointed out that many marketers blithely peddle goods or services that they know – or should know – are anything but good for those they entice into using them. It’s easy to look askance at those who market tobacco and other well known threats to our well-being. Godin zeros in on fast food, actually food in general, and our obesity epidemic along with the array of woes it brings with it.

It’s too easy to point out that the occasional burger and fries, or pile of pancakes with maple syrup does not make one obese. Nor that some individuals find it a lot harder to control their weight than others. Neither of those points amounts to a whole lot when we all know that there’s no way to limit what a food maker offers unless we do it, unless we show them a better and more profitable option.

There is another face on this coin, health insurance. Or more accurately benefits, since this sector veered from the insurance model years ago. No one expects a life insurance company to offer a policy to those in their nineties; in fact most policies cut off well before the applicant turns eighty. Nor is it expected that a life policy will be issued to an individual with severe health issues. While we as a people are not going to deny health benefits to those who do not act to care for themselves, some boundaries need to be established by the underwriters, the government and the medical community; the doctors and healthcare facilities.

Godin makes the point that marketing is one of the few professions that does not have boundaries. Law, medicine, real estate, retailing, even food manufacturing all have boundaries. The only fence surrounding the marketing world is a truth in advertising rule. Of course many marketers have ethical boundaries. They won’t work for companies who do not adhere to high ethical standards. But even those individuals and agencies might not feel that a food manufacturer presents an ethical issue.

On the contrary such a company might present an opportunity, an opportunity to create a set of boundaries. Boundaries that never show oversized portions; that offer only healthy recipes and serving suggestions. Boundaries that limit the potential for harm from legitimate efforts to create revenue for the company. There is reason to believe that this is a solid marketing concept. Consumers are moving more and more to products that offer healthy options. So rather than selling more to a limited number of customers, create more customers.

Beyond marketing, medicine and government have work to do on the obesity front. And marketing needs recognize that food and obesity are but a single color on its palette. There’s hardly a company that does not present ethical issues when it comes to creating their sales messaging. We owe Godin thanks for reminding us of our responsibility to follow the ethical model whatever we peddle.