1) I highly agree with the American Marketing Association code of ethics. The section I find most important in it is the Implementation statement. Without implementing and applying the code of ethics to a company, it goes nowhere. It's very important to have commitment to ethics, especially in the marketing aspect of business, to gain trust from customers, employees, shareholders, and the like.
2) The ethical values in the American Marketing Association include honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency, and citizenship. Out of these, the one that stands at the forefront of importance in my mind is honesty. Without honesty, it's impossible to gain subordinate and customer trust, which is already in need of help in marketing at large. A company that values honesty values integrity and is truthful in its interactions, short-comings, and sales. I have yet to find an honest, open company that people don't like. Generally, even if a company's products aren't stellar as long as it has honest, listening staff, people will be drawn to it. Why? Because there's potential! It's a business people feel like they can trust. Show me one manipulative company that people love. Can't find one? That's because those companies usually go out of business.
3) Toyota is one example of a company that followed through with honesty. A couple of years ago, my mom got a call from a Toyota representative recalling all Toyota Yaris' for an update or fix in the airbag system. We took our car into the dealership and got it fixed for free. Toyota had honored its promise of replacing or fixing car parts that were not up to par with the automobile regulations. Because it did this, my family trusts and is happy with Toyota's service and customer promises.
Topic #2
1) This is a profound article! It's a campaign that Dove sponsored to give women the choice to decide how they perceived themselves by setting up two different doors of malls that were labeled "beautiful" and "average". Shockingly, many women went through the "average" door. A video posted in the article showed different women in several countries walking through the doors and being interviewed about their choices. Most said it made them think about how they truly saw themselves. The point of Dove's project here was to show women that it is their choice as to whether they see themselves as beautiful or not. It's a choice, not an unchangeable state of being.
BEAUTIFUL?
2) This was huge in the world of marketing, since there's a lot of pressure on young girls to look a certain way. What Dove did was not only a noteworthy way to spread its brand name, but more importantly to show women that they are beautiful and it's all about how they choose to view themselves. Most cosmetic companies have commercials or photos of seductively dressed women with excessive make-up and call it "beautiful". Dove is breaking that.
3) What I love about Dove's campaign is that it's about the people, not selling their product. I hope that more cosmetic companies jump on board with this style of advertising - to take the pressure off and show the truth - that women are naturally beautiful. That being said, I can think about a different approach to marketing my product/service instead of taking the traditional route.
To visit Dove's website, go here.
* pictures courtesy of Dove.
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