Ethical Marketing : With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

I received a text message today that read;

“Enjoy FULL BODY MASSAGE By High Class Hot Pretty Girls @ Rs-999/- at Newly Opened AY****YA SPA, SEC-18, NOIDA, for Appointment Call-0120-45***16/981****011/611”

Yes, you read that correct. I starred out the name and contact numbers intentionally to not provide publicity to the establishment.

Objectification of women and unethical marketing are phenomenon we all are aware of, but this steps even that line and goes into the pure shameless and unacceptable territory. Is this what we have come down to? Does this look like an advertisement for a spa to anyone?

Marketing needs to remain positive and optimistic. If you need to target basic human tendencies of fear, greed or lust to advertise and sell rather than the product/service and its virtues, you are not doing a very good job. Yes, these cheats tend to work every now and then, but the negative image you create for your brand is going to stick for long. And this may ultimately be harmful in the long run.

Marketing industry has evolved a lot in the past few years and today we accept what may have been unacceptable some time ago. This is because the society as a whole has opened up, and it’s a good thing. But where does this end?

Objectification of women has been happening since long and has significantly gained traction since the 1980’s. Scantily clad, suggestively portrayed women sell every different type of product on television, in magazines, and on personal computer screens in increasing numbers. This has increased exponentially since the advent of bulk e-mails/messages and social media. Depression, appearance anxiety, body shame, sexual dysfunction, and eating disorders are only a few among the growing list of repercussions of this.

Our role as marketers is to promote our product/service in a way that is ethical and highlights the positives of the product. We have a moral responsibility to the general public, who as receivers are tend to be influenced by what we share. Marketers today have great influencing power in the form of tools and media at their disposal, and as Benjamin Parker from Spiderman once said “With great power comes great responsibility.”