Industries desperately try to acquire new customers. Some companies are likely to apply inappropriate means of gaining their attention. One of the methods is target marketing. This is where corporations use adverts and marketing as a means of attracting consumers and targeting their customers accurately to sell their goods. However, not all industries use ethical procedures to get customers. This raises the question as to whether it is ethical for businesses to target uninformed consumers.
It is unfortunate that some businesses use deceptive and manipulative strategies to attain sales objectives. It is more unfortunate that most people trust companies in that they consider their interests. However, the use of marketing means and targeting uninformed customers is not an unethical or manipulative means. One of the reasons is that most companies and businesses research and analyze their consumers, determining the predisposed means that might make a person buy a product (Graeff 643-667). These include a variety of factors such as cultural norms, personal preferences as well as regular orders among others.
In targeting the uninformed consumers, the company introduces its brand to new markets. This not only acts as a way of winning new customers but also as an education platform in that people are informed of the new product (Buehler and Schuett). While the community gets educated, the company can attract more consumers. Also, target marketing is beneficial to a community. Can you imagine introducing a new product to the consumers? This would increase competition against the rival and already established products leading to improved qualities and lowered prices. Through target marketing, a company is likely to gain. This is realized since the company has the upper hand in influencing the uninformed group through asking, informing, and persuasion as well as advertising (Fishman 23-25).
However, it may seem unethical to target an informed consumer group. This is because it may intrude on their cultural beliefs and social norms. The products may not best fit the group, and introducing them to the people may be wrong.
Work Cited
Buehler, Benno, and Florian Schuett. “Certification And Minimum Quality Standards When Some Consumers Are Uninformed.” SSRN Electronic Journal (2012): n. pag. Web.
Fishman, Arthur. “Dynamics Sales Discriminate Against Uninformed Consumers In A Competitive Market.” Economics Letters 27.1 (1988): 23-25. Web.
Graeff, Timothy R. “Exploring Consumers’ Answers To Survey Questions: Are Uninformed Responses Truly Uninformed?.” Psychology and Marketing 20.7 (2003): 643-667. Web.
Essay 2
One of the primary objectives of any company is to expand its customer base. While some companies achieve this by their efficient marketing strategies, a few utilize different inappropriate means to gain the attention of customers. In this regard, target marketing is one of the widely used techniques to target new consumers and sell products that usually involve many unethical procedures.
However, if we think from a broader perspective, it would be highly difficult for any company to introduce its products to a new market without target marketing. But first, we need to differentiate the target marketing from other manipulative or deceptive means that misuse the beliefs and cultural norms of the people to pursue them to buy the company’s goods. On the other hand, in target marketing, companies deploy different tools and means to understand the needs of the community and then address them through their advertisement programs. In this way, they can successfully enter a new market and make their customers educated about the new products that can effectively satisfy their needs (Buehler & Schuett, 2014).
Targeting uninformed customers is also beneficial for the whole community. When companies introduce their products in a new market, it creates competition among all the market players to improve their products to stay competitive, which will ultimately lead to improved quality and low prices (Fishman, 1988).
On the other hand, in some circumstances, target marketing can be perceived as unethical as well, especially when it involves products that are against the cultural and social norms of the people. Similarly, if the company is selling food products, targeting uninformed customers can lead to several health problems in the community. Therefore, it highly depends on the company’s strategy and its primary products to determine whether its target marketing approach is ethical or unethical.
References
Buehler, B., & Schuett, F. (2014). Certification and minimum quality standards when some consumers are uninformed. European Economic Review, 70, 493–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2014.06.007
Fishman, A. (1988). Dynamics sales discriminate against uninformed consumers in a competitive market. Economics Letters, 27(1), 23–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1765(88)90213-3
Essay 3
Marketing is an essential component of any business’s strategy that needs to sustain its growth in the highly competitive environment of the 21st century. Therefore, many companies are using different ways to effectively market their customers in different regions of the world based on their local preferences and needs. However, on the other hand, some companies that are offering some novel services or products target their potential customers based on their needs and not entirely based on their preferences. In this regard, they are mostly uninformed about these new products and are often prone to develop some fake preferences inspired by the marketing content of the companies, which can consequently lead to different kinds of health issues. Therefore, the issue of whether targeting uninformed customers is ethical or not needs to be addressed from a much bigger perspective from not only the business’s success and growth point of view but also the viewpoint of its effects on the consumers’ eating and consumption habits.
From a business’s point of view, targeting uninformed customers is not only a useful strategy to introduce their products to a new audience but also an essential strategy because it is the only way the companies can approach different people living in different parts of the world (Buehler). So, target marketing becomes ethical in this case if the companies’ intentions are good as in this way, they can educate the customers as well (Fishman). However, this is not always true. Some companies utilize very deceptive ways of marketing, which often involve influencing the psychological behavior of the consumers to establish false beliefs among them with regard to the effectiveness of their products. And definitely, this leads to many health issues in society. So, from this frame of reference, target marketing is not only unethical but should also be discouraged.
Work Cited
Buehler, Benno, and Florian Schuett. “Certification and minimum quality standards when some consumers are uninformed.” European Economic Review 70 (2014): 493-511.
Fishman, Arthur. “Dynamics sales discriminate against uninformed consumers in a competitive market.” Economics Letters 27.1 (1988): 23-25.
Essay 4
A producer is not responsible for educating the consumer on the product but if a product has some quirks, then it would be morally wrong on the part of the producer to not inform the targeted customers as it has the potential to harm the consumer negatively. Producers sometimes desperately try to acquire new potential customers by applying inappropriate ways of gaining consumers’ attention on the product to sell their goods. Thus, it is unethical to target an uninformed group of consumers because not knowing the pros and cons of the product may lead to belittling it. Therefore, it is best for a responsible and determined producer that he should enlighten the buyer on what to expect. This essay presents an argument on whether it is an ethical concern to target uninformed consumers and also the counterargument that how customers are responsible for it.
It is unfortunate and unethical on all the grounds that some corporations, just to accomplish their set sales objectives, use manipulative strategies and deceptive tactics, which lead to mistrust among consumers and producers in the market. Companies use outright lies, deception, manipulation, and exaggeration to lure customers into buying their products which poses an ethical concern. Some corporations purposefully hide information about the products because they want to take advantage of the customers’ ignorance which is against business ethics. Companies should keep the importance of their potential targeted customers in consideration because they are the primary population that the companies target in their production (Smith and Cooper-Martin).
Contrary to the claim that it is wrong and unethical to target uninformed consumers, buyers still have access to the market and information about similar products advertised by other different companies or corporations. So, it is an open choice for the individual consumer which company he/she chooses to buy the product even if they are targeted uninformed. In short, it is all about the consumer’s responsibility and the decision whether to become informed or not through conducting proper research about the product and the company and also by getting all the related details.
In a nutshell, it is necessary to inform the consumers about the product because it is their right to know what they are using or consuming. However, it is a shared responsibility where the consumer should also know the details of the company and the products prior to buying any. Once they are assured of the quality of the product, they should buy the goods they want to use or consume so that they cannot be exploited through the delivery of non-standard products.
Works Cited
Smith, N. Craig, and Elizabeth Cooper-Martin. “Ethics and Target Marketing: The Role of Product Harm and Consumer Vulnerability.” Journal of Marketing, vol. 61, no. 3, 1997, pp. 1–20.
Essay 5
Companies target their consumers by tracking what they need and what they have already bought, which aids them in the process of advertising their products. Some corporations use transparent advertising methods for their products or services and gain the attention of their customers. However, the market is full of manipulating tactics companies use to lure consumers into buying their products which is unethical by all means. Moreover, not all companies or corporations use ethical procedures in acquiring new customers and selling their goods, as they apply inappropriate means to target uninformed customers that can be easily manipulated in the market. Thus, it is unethical to target the group of uninformed customers who are unaware of the standards and fair prices of the services or goods. This paper backs up the argument that targeting an uninformed customer is unethical by all means and presents a counterargument on how consumers cannot be part of unethical target marketing.
Companies analyze and research the needs of their target consumers and advertise their services or goods in a specific way to grab the attention of new customers. This involves ethical target marketing through which a company seeks predisposed ways based on the personal, social, cultural, or habitual preferences of the target consumers. These predisposed ways focus on what might make a new customer acquire a product, and thus, companies acquire their potential and loyal customers. On the other hand, most companies do not follow the rule of the market, “let the buyer know” and purposely target the vulnerable individuals of any society to grab more customers. Customers who lack intelligence, decisiveness, and maturity falls victim to such companies and sadly become an uninformed consumer group of that unethical company. Corporations keep on their businesses through manipulative tactics, which involve deception, lying, and threats indulging in the unethical act of intruding on consumers’ personal preferences, social norms, and cultural beliefs (Fong, 2005). Thus, using deceptive methods against vulnerable populations to acquire new customers or sell goods is unethical and through this way, companies purposely participate in unethical target marketing.
Contrary to this argument that a company purposely indulges in manipulative tactics to target a group of uninformed customers, any individual customer should be intelligent enough to research a product and the company selling it before buying. Customers must have the ability to wisely choose the company, its products, and services even if they are targeted uninformed. No matter what deceptive means companies use, buyers still have access to the market and the information related to similar products advertised by other companies offers the customers an open choice. So, it all depends on the individual customer, their preferences, and beliefs about how they buy a certain product, whether through conducting proper research or through getting lured by deceptive businesses (Carrigan & Attalla, 2001).
In a nutshell, although it is unethical to target a vulnerable and uninformed population, the customers are still responsible for their decisions and choices in buying a product. Early research prior to buying from a new company can save an individual customer from getting exploited in the name of false or deceptive advertising. Therefore, buying and selling is a shared responsibility where customers have the legitimate right to know what they are buying so that they can be saved from the delivery of non-standard products.
References
Carrigan, M., & Attalla, A. (2001). The myth of the ethical consumer–do ethics matter in purchase behaviour? Journal of Consumer Marketing.
Fong, Y. (2005). When do experts cheat and whom do they target? RAND Journal of Economics, 113–130.
Essay 6
Targeting uninformed consumers for the product seems the best market tactic to sell more and increase a business’ reach to potential clients. However, this really is a bad idea for a business to survive in an ever-emerging global market. Consumers would never like to be deceived into buying things that turn out to be a serious problem for health (Smith & Cooper-Martin, 1997). This paper claims that it is unethical to target uninformed consumers when GMOs are not labeled. It also provides the counterclaim that most companies research their consumers’ needs and then launch products meeting their needs, so targeting uninformed consumers and labeling GMOs is not a mandatory option.
Some animal studies suggest that GMOs pose serious damage to the liver, heart, kidneys, and immune system of human beings, but the FDA does nothing about GMO foods, although it is responsible for the safety and quality of food. The point of concern for the FDA in the United States is that it is not mandatory to label food products that are GMOs, whereas many developing countries across the world have made it mandatory to label GMOs. States are now taking their initiatives on their own without involving the federal government because the institutions are too slow to implement a policy. The ethical concerns of GMOs include potential damage to the environment, harm to health, and negative impacts on traditional farming practice that triggers corporate dominance (Hug, 2008).
Besides this claim, the counterclaim is that being a producer or seller of a GMO food product, it is not one’s job to educate consumers. Consumers should be more knowledgeable and decisive before buying a certain product because if the thing is edible, then it must be FDA-approved. GMO food products are not excluded from that list, and consumers can access all pieces of information related to products. Therefore, it is up to an individual consumer to decide whether to be informed before buying because consumers make the decision about purchasing a GMO product, and sellers do not. So, some people think that it is completely okay to target uninformed consumers to help a business increase its reach because it is a marketing means, not a manipulative tactic.
In a nutshell, although it is true that a buyer should research and be informed before buying a certain GMO product, it is still unethical and wrong to target uninformed consumers. This may lead a person to buy something that is not good for his/her health. Moreover, targeting uninformed consumers is an abusive power because it can also cause a loss to the company or producer of GMOs. So, mandatory labeling and informing customers or targeting just informed consumers of the product is good for the consumers as well as businesses because it will help them to be less confused and be informed when they consider buying GMOs.
References
Hug, K. (2008). Genetically modified organisms: Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Medicina, 44(2), 87.
Smith, N. C., & Cooper-Martin, E. (1997). Ethics and target marketing: The role of product harm and consumer vulnerability. Journal of Marketing, 61(3), 1–20.
