Sunday, March 2, 2008

Ethical considerations for minority and youth population segments...

So, is marketing to minorities and children unethical? I think that this is a fairly good question and one that can be answered with a resounding “YES”!

Before we go down this road, lets qualify a few things. First, marketing and targeting minority populations and youths has their fair share of pitfalls. Each of these groups have several taboo’s about what you can and cant say, as well as what is appropriate to mention for the purposes of marketing.

The point of reason stands that if there is a product that is obviously intended for a specific group, then there is no need to beat around the bush and market it as something else. An example of this would be chemical hair straigtheners: While it is understood that women of non-color could use these products, the vast majority of the consumers are ethnic women who have a specific need for this product.

Would it be unethical to market this product directly to the consumers who use it? I say yes. It would be doing a dis-service to women of color to pretend that they don’t exist, simply for the purpose of being politically correct. This in my opinion is a perfect example of an unethical act.

Similarly, the youth market needs to have the veil removed. While it is understood that the naivety of today’s youths my be quickly eroding, it still wouldn’t be prudent to offer adult type marketing forms in order to develop brand relationships and fidelity. We should be aware and address the group that we are marketing to in a true and inspired way that is on par with the level of the consumer group.

In all, the ethics of marketing will rest with the marketer themselves. The consumer will tell the marketer through statistical data if the job done was effective or a waste of time. Many times, ethics will guide the marketer to ultimate success.
Thoughts?

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