Why it Matters - Marketing with a Conscience

Ethical marketing requires moving beyond product excellence to encompass social responsibility and conscious practise. Philip Kotler, a preeminent figure in modern marketing, defines the higher standard: “A good company offers excellent products and services. A great company also offers excellent products and services but also strives to make the world a better place”. Kotler further encourages purpose-driven strategy: “Be a cause, not just a business. Have a higher mission”. This establishes a mandate for corporate activity that positively addresses societal concerns and biases. Marketing with a Conscience

However, the ethical landscape is complicated by the psychological nature of persuasion. Marketers are capable of exploiting cognitive biases and insecurities. Abhijit Naskar, in a critical commentary on consumerism, stated: “The point is, your insecurity is good for business, the shallower you are, the more your pocket empties”. This highlights the uncomfortable reality that some profitable marketing strategies are built upon amplifying, rather than mitigating, psychological vulnerabilities. Seth Godin elaborates on the consumer's role, observing: “We believe what we want to believe, and once we believe something, it becomes a self-fulfilling truth”. This describes confirmation bias, a psychological tendency that skilled marketers can leverage through narrative.

Marketing with a conscience, therefore, is not merely about external philanthropic acts (Kotler) but about internal ethical restraint. It means actively refusing to capitalise on the psychological vulnerabilities cited by Naskar, even when such exploitation offers maximum profit. A conscious marketer exercises power responsibly by questioning whether success is built on the customer’s improvement or their detriment.

In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) enforces the ethical standard of Marketing with a Conscience through strict rulings against ‘greenwashing,’ demanding that brands, particularly those in high-carbon industries, provide a ‘high level of substantiation’ for absolute environmental claims and ensure their marketing presents the whole picture of their impact.

"Why It Matters" offers a collection of afterthoughts for my marketing students, specifically designed to deepen their understanding of the week's topic. It provides crucial added insights to the content explored in each workshop.