The takeaway that I had from working with students in this exercise was a profound realization about how choice was construed for them and how, generally, marketing was considered unethical only when it impinged upon an individual’s ability to make a choice. Īlthough I didn’t think about it as such at the time, the notion of choice situates itself nicely alongside the empowerment of the self that Sarah Banet-Weiser writes about in Authentic. Question: Are these two scenarios equally ethical and, if not, which one is more ethical?Īfter running this session multiple times a clear pattern began to emerge in students’ responses: the initial reaction was typically that Case B was more ethical than Case A and, when pushed, students typically reported that their decision resulted from the notion that individuals in Case B had a measure of choice (i.e., they could leave the room) while individuals in Case A did not. The combination of colors, scents, etc., inclines clients to purchase 30% more product than they would in the old office but otherwise has no effect. The pill subconsciously inclines clients to purchase 30% more product than they would have had they not taken it but otherwise has no effect.Ĭase (B): Smith, a saleswoman, hires a marketing firm to design her office. However, toward the end of the session I presented the class with a thought experiment that was designed to force the students to struggle with the concepts that they had just encountered and to push their thinking a bit about ethics.Ĭase (A): Smith, a saleswoman, invites clients to her office and secretly dissolves a pill in their drinks. I recorded this sentiment on a whiteboard in the room but didn’t comment much on it at the time. During the course of our discussion many of these students expressed an opinion that it was, generally speaking, the responsibility of the consumer to know that he or she was 1) being marketed to and 2) potentially being tricked. Structured more as a provocation than a lecture, we covered basic concepts of persuasion and manipulation before proceeding to engage in a discussion about whether particular marketing practices were considered ethical (and how such a determination was ultimately made).

A couple of weeks ago I found myself leading an exercise on marketing ethics for an introductory marketing class in the Marshall School of Business.

Sarah banet weiser authentic