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Introduction
Advertising plays an especially important role in the market economy of capitalism. With the emergence and development of new businesses, professional competition is becoming more and more prominent in the field. Many companies sell products in similar or adjacent areas of production and levels of quality. In such a competitive environment, the only way for an organization to gain a substantial advantage is to advertise their products effectively. Many factors are influential on the success of a marketing campaign, including its scope and reach, the target audience, and the projected message. Well-thought-out advertising can be the reason for a companys prosperity as much as bad advertisement can be its downfall. In this discussion, it is also important to mention the topic of ethics. Advertising is explicitly designed to sell the audience a product, regardless of its possible downsides. This means that when a service or a product has harmful effects, promotional materials may desire to frame it in a positive light or divert the customers attention to other topics. In no field is this more evident than the tobacco industry. With the modern understanding of human health and factors contributing to its deterioration, one can surmise the danger cigarettes pose for their well-being. This, however, was not the case early on, as health research was not as widespread. The popularity of cigarettes in Western countries has decreased, but their prevalence in the Eastern and European markets still lasts. This essay will discuss the ethics of advertising tobacco, especially to children.
Advertising and Ethics
The purpose of any advertisement is to promote a company, a service, or a product. With the use of catchy tunes, impactful slogans, and effective messaging, firms have the ability to stand out among the competition and garner a bigger audience. Advertise can help organizations to get exposure and make others understand the best qualities of their brand. Promotional materials can include pamphlets, video and audio materials, pictures, or any other kind of visual media. Many of them are displayed in areas where large amounts of people are likely to view them. Since the main benefactors of advertising are the companies themselves, the actual impact on the audience may be both beneficial and harmful. Untrue advertising is considered detrimental to the public in accordance with the main principles of ethics (Villarán, 2017).
The difference between ethical and unethical advertising is hard to define, and companies often deliberately blur the line even further. In many cases corporations engage in practices that are technically legal but still exaggerated or deceptive (Posavac, 2011). Ethical advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission of the United States, ensuring that the promotion is truthful, fair, supported by evidence, and free of deception (LaMarco, 2018). These principles are necessary for any advertisements. The FTC views and approves advertisements that are deemed to be acceptable. Without proper regulatory practice, advertisers can use false or exaggerated claims to boost the sales of their products to the detriment of the public. By utilizing specific organizations to review and evaluate the use of advertising by organizations. Fair and ethical advertisement serves to benefit both the company and the consumer. Companies can build an honest public image that will make more people attracted to them (Rothschild, 2016). And people will be able to make better, more informed decisions about the things they buy.
Advertising Cigarettes to Children
Each company has a number of target audiences when advertising their products. Some products are expected to sell better with people of a certain age group or a particular gender, and these assumptions lay the groundwork for organizing an advertisement campaign. For tobacco companies, one of the key audiences has been children and teenagers. Cigarettes have been marketed as a way to show maturity and growth, something a teen is severely attracted to. Corporations have conducted studies on the smoking patterns of kids and adolescents, basing their advertising campaigns on them (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 2017). Kids as old as 13 are considered a key market. Securing popularity among young people allows tobacco companies to make many regular customers and ensure long-lasting profits. This practice, however, is undoubtedly unethical. Young children and teenagers do not have the complete insight and awareness that adults possess, and thus cannot meaningfully access the risks smoking presents.
By targeting a developing demographic, the tobacco industry subconsciously influences people for corporate benefit. In America, TV and radio-based advertisements were banned, but globally the corporations still attempt to push their marketing onto people (Andre & Velasquez, 1988). In some European and east countries, tobacco manufacturers still have the ability to promote their products on television. While most companies claim that they have stopped advertising to minors intentionally, they still structure their promotions in a way that attracts an underage audience. Global trends show that prior to stricter regulations on childrens advertisements, the rates of underage smoking were on the rise (World Health Organization, 2018). The tobacco ads are still often placed in close proximity to schools and available for view by any individual. Cigarettes often appear in magazines with a large teen readership and on the internet, where children are prone to being influenced. By widening their reach and appealing to kids, corporations secure a growing demand from new tobacco users.
References
Andre, C., & Velasquez, M. (1988). The Morality of Marketing the Marlboro Man. Morality and Marketing. Web.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2017). Fact Sheets. Web.
LaMarco, N. (2018). What Is the Difference Between Unethical & Ethical Advertising? Small Business Chron.com. Web.
Posavac, S. S. (2011). Cracking the code: leveraging consumer psychology to drive profitability. M.E. Sharpe.
Rothschild, B. (2016). Why Its Important to Have Ethics in Advertising&Especially to Reach Millennials. Web.
Villarán, A. (2017). Irrational advertising and moral autonomy: JBE. Journal of Business Ethics, 144(3), 479-490. Web.
World Health Organization. (2018). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco smoking 2000-2025 (2nd Ed.), pp. 11-18. Web.
Appendix
Andre, C., & Velasquez, M. (1988). The Morality of Marketing the Marlboro Man. Morality and Marketing. Web.
This source talks about the morality of advertising to children in the tobacco industry. The page details the many dangers of smoking and argues that the use of advertisement by the tobacco companies is misleading and deceptive. I think that this text is useful for highlighting the reasons for tobacco ad regulation and the tactics many of them use to entice the audience.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2017). Fact Sheets. Web.
The document details the tobacco companies work of advertising to children in great detail. It describes the overt and hidden techniques many companies use to secure a valuable market. The paper also highlights some of the statistics for underage tobacco use with the intent of informing the audience. I think this paper is good for finding factual data and exploring the concept of morality in advertising.
LaMarco, N. (2018). What Is the Difference Between Unethical & Ethical Advertising? Small Business Chron.com. Web.
The website generally describes the differences between ethical and unethical advertising. It brings attention to the main regulations put in place to counteract the use of deceptive language and visuals in advertising. This page is useful in distinguishing what constitutes advertisement as ethical and understanding the types of practices companies often employ.
Posavac, S. S. (2011). Cracking the code: leveraging consumer psychology to drive profitability. M.E. Sharpe.
The fifth chapter of the book talks about false advertising and deceptive marketing. The author notes that in many cases the public considers exaggerated claims or the withdrawal of information to be deceptive. While companies hire lawyers and similar specialists for advice, many of them still fall into controversy over facetious marketing. The book is helpful in understanding what approaches companies take to abide by the law while presenting their products in the best possible light.
Rothschild, B. (2016). Why Its Important to Have Ethics in Advertising&Especially to Reach Millennials. Web.
The article argues that companies need to use ethical advertisements in an effort to connect with younger audiences. The improved sense of connection and transparency can help corporations to better reach millennials. The insight can assist in showing the benefits of ethical marketing from the corporate side of the affair.
Villarán, A. (2017). Irrational advertising and moral autonomy: JBE. Journal of Business Ethics, 144(3), 479-490. Web.
The article explores and analyses some of the main criticisms against false advertising. Taking a look at the various ethical outlooks on the issue, the paper can be useful in bringing attention to the problems of dishonest marketing practices.
World Health Organization. (2018). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco smoking 2000-2025 (2nd Ed.), pp. 11-18. Web.
The WHO report shows some of the main trends in the tobacco industry, and developments across different demographics. The main use of this page is to see that underage smoking has been on the decline in recent years.
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