What Is Ethical Marketing & Why Does It Matter?

Ethical marketing is a philosophy as much as it is an action. It is a concept of fairness, equality, and ‘do no harm’ that flows through every aspect of not just your marketing but your entire business.

Being an ethical marketer is much more than not participating in obviously unethical practices, like posting fraudulent reviews or using other ‘black-hat’ tactics. It means being conscious of our tendencies, biases, and motivations and being critical of our brand messaging to ensure that what we are putting into the world isn’t causing harm, socially or environmentally.

Ethical marketing means taking a stand against using deception and manipulation. It means knowing the difference between communicating a message factually and exploiting an emotionally charged reaction to elicit the desired response.

Modernity demands us to contemplate ethical dilemmas we have not yet had before. Marketing ethically means using technology and artificial intelligence responsibly and with the highest regard for honouring intellectual property rights and privacy.

Being an ethical marketer goes beyond advertising. It’s also about how we use our work to give back to the world and our communities. It means being good environmental stewards, performing service for our communities, being allies and using our privilege for good. It means fair employment practices, including ensuring living wages are provided, and employers and contractors are always supported to become the best they can be.

So why should we care?

Because those with a platform have a responsibility to use it for the betterment of our communities. We all are obligated to do no harm and leave this world in a state better than we found it.

Legally, there are standards to follow and requirements to adhere to. If you wish to avoid litigation, ensuring that each business decision is filtered through a lens of ethics is an excellent first step.

In terms of business, brands that care, are authentic, and contribute positively to the world are the brands that resonate the most passionately with people. Most of us want to engage with brands that we feel connected to, who stand for something meaningful, and who would treat them like a friend, a brand with whom they enjoy a reciprocal relationship, where each other’s participation enriches them both.

When we connect we can do great things in this world together – let’s do it with kindness, curiosity, and openness to lifelong learning.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou.