Professionals of all industries face ethical dilemmas in their day-to-day work, and marketers especially have a responsibility to ensure their actions do not mislead or mistreat their audiences.
In this #ContentChat community conversation, we go beyond legalities to explore what behaviors are unethical, and how you can navigate difficult situations so that your professional life does not conflict with your moral compass.
Q1: How important is it to you that you are ethical in your marketing?
The community unanimously agrees that acting ethically is their No. 1 priority. Trust is crucial in building relationships, and acting unethically can destroy the trust of customers and coworkers.
A1: Even before I became a consultant, my perspective is my business actions 100% reflect upon me as a person. And for that reason, I refuse to engage in unethical practices, even when directly told to do so by an employer or client. #ContentChat https://t.co/eVRG2zqMYc
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 28, 2019
A1: Being ethical in marketing should be priority #1. This is just a part of building trust and a relationship with your customers #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger ✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) January 28, 2019
A1. Very important. Your marketing is an extension of your brand and team. If you come across or are found as unethical, all of your efforts and reputation building suffers with it. Make sure that you are ethical and true to your brand / audiences with efforts. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 28, 2019
A1: Being ethical should be a cornerstone of your marketing strategy. #ContentChat
— Berrak Sarikaya | Content Strategist | Speaker (@BerrakBiz) January 28, 2019
A1: Ethics are a #1 priority for me. From ensuring that my clients aren’t competing companies to citing sources, without ethics, we would be sunk. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
A1. I’m a conscientious marketer. It’s important to be to be ethical because it’s:
the right way to live life.
the only way I can sleep at night.
#ContentChat— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) January 28, 2019
A1: Good marketing *is* ethical. Honesty and transparency are good for business (unless the business is sleazy to begin with) #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) January 28, 2019
Q1: Marketing is, at its crux, about building relationships with customers. Holding yourself to high ethical standards is vital to building trust. #contentchat #smnite19 #pmswish
— gillianforclass (@gillianforclass) January 28, 2019
A1: Being ethical is an absolute necessity for your marketing strategy. Unethical practices completely undermine your brand’s authority, authenticity, and trust. Not to mention it leaves a bad taste in your team’s and your customers’ mouths. #ContentChat
— Brafton (@Brafton) January 28, 2019
Q2: What are some unethical marketing situations you’ve encountered either as a marketer or a recipient of marketing? Or, where do you find you negotiate ethics most often?
There’s a range of situations you may encounter that can present ethical issues. Avoid dangerous territory by crediting work and citing sources…
A2: Credit for work is the biggest one. It really emphasizes the importance of measurement. But when it comes to company valuation and the role marketing plays in things like buyouts, that stuff gets hazy. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
A2. One of the worst culprits of unethical marketing is not sourcing properly (imo). Links should go to the *original* source, not just another source that is quoting the original source. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/w168oKlF6K
— PathFactory (@pathfactory) January 28, 2019
Ensuring your audiences have agreed/opted-in to receive certain forms of communications…
A2: I once had a client who had added people to a mailing list without their opt-in. The first thing I had to do was convince them to send out an opt-in form to the 3K people and start over. It was a battle. #ContentChat
— Berrak Sarikaya | Content Strategist | Speaker (@BerrakBiz) January 28, 2019
I think the opt-in email list building issue has to be the most common fight online marketers have to deal with. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) January 28, 2019
Crafting authentic messages that do not employ “click bait” tactics, stretch the truth or present your message in a misleading way…
A2: I’ve had CMOs tell me to pad the download numbers on a landing page, send unsolicited marketing emails, and use customer logos I know we aren’t allowed to share. I always pushed back, even to the point of leaving that employment relationship. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 28, 2019
A2: I really can’t stand click bait or not giving credit where credit is due #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger ✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) January 28, 2019
A2. I always feel uncomfortable when I’m asked to stretch the truth. I have to say no, no matter the cost. I won’t do anything that will keep me up at night. #ContentChat https://t.co/prvJp5S9s0
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) January 28, 2019
A2 One old-school tactic that annoys me and doesn’t seem ethical is when local HVAC repair shops send you mail with a font that looks like it is hand-written just so you will open the envelope to read their offer. #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) January 28, 2019
Yeah. This is right up there with putting “Re: …” in the subject line of a first touch sales or marketing email. #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) January 28, 2019
A2. I haven’t personally encountered this, but Chinese websites like Wish have the most unethical practices. They display fake product images that are nothing like the products they sell. Seen this too many times on YouTube #contentchat
— M I A ✤ R O S E (@thekryptikrose) January 28, 2019
Treading carefully in positioning competitors in your communications (if you choose to mention them at all)…
A2: I’ve received marketing emails trashing my current vendors or my team’s work. If you think this is a great tactic to reach me as a possible customer, you’re not the sort of person I want to work with. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 28, 2019
So much this. Talking trash is never a good business tactic. It will always, and I say this emphatically, ALWAYS bite you in the ass. #ContentChat https://t.co/ZlPZi0t6Nt
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
Or not making promises you can’t keep (or don’t intend to).
A2 Marketers who overpromise (or outright deceive) and underdeliver are ruining the industry. It starts to feel a lot more sales and advertising than marketing. #ContentChat
— Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) January 28, 2019
Sometimes, the company or product you are marketing is not providing a value, and that is a red flag.
I think the other thing that I’m pretty staunch on is marketing for a company that sells something that hurts people or isn’t actually solving a problem. Marketing for companies who have budget and want to do a thing but don’t have a heart and soul is no good. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
Q3: What guide posts do you use to keep your marketing ethical?
Strategies can vary by individual or team, but there’s a few core ways to promote an ethical culture. First, document your brand values and guidelines and train your team on them. Invite conversation on the topic so everyone is clear on what is/is not allowed.
A3: it’s important to talk about ethics with everyone on your team to ensure that all members are on the same page. Ethical guidelines and best practices need to be discussed on Day 1, in on-boarding. It empowers your team! #ContentChat
— Brafton (@Brafton) January 28, 2019
A3: For all channels & channel owners there are guidelines in place to follow. It is up to the owners to follow those guidelines and to pull in the right resources when they are challenged or ask to do something you feel in wrong. I use our legal team as support here #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger ✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) January 28, 2019
A3. There’s basic common sense (this is right, wrong, ethical, unethical, questionable, etc), but then there are also brand guidelines and how we use our voice / speak with our prospects and customers. Both of these areas heavily influence our marketing ethics. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 28, 2019
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes to picture their reaction to your marketing decisions.
A3: I always ask myself, how would I feel to be on the receiving end of this marketing decision as a customer? WOuld I feel angry or deceived? If so, DON’T DO IT! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 28, 2019
Or, imagine what your mom (or someone you respect) would think of your actions.
A3: Will my mom be proud of me if she knew what I do? I know that sounds silly, but if you can’t proudly share how you get results, or if you are hiding the work you do because it feels icky or you know for a fact it’s not ok, then it’s most likely unethical. #ContentChat
— Click Ctrl Marketing (@ClkContrl) January 28, 2019
Be honest in your communications and don’t target vulnerable audiences.
A3: Always be honest and upfront with people. There’s no need to try to hide something and if you do, there’s a good chance someone will find out. That’s a risk you shouldn’t take! #ContentChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) January 28, 2019
A3: Keep it honest. Try to find research of examples backing up what I say. Don’t oversell (for my own business or my clients) #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) January 28, 2019
A3. Make sure you’re not describing a product inaccurately. I never market to children below the age of 16 #contentchat
— M I A ✤ R O S E (@thekryptikrose) January 28, 2019
Trust your gut. Legal does not equal ethical, and if you have a bad feeling about something, talk it over with your team or client.
A3. I work in a highly regulated industry, so I have well-established legal parameters. I know all the red flags. Still, if something doesn’t feel right in my gut, I won’t do it, even if it passes the legal test. #ContentChat https://t.co/GGRbFTclQp
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) January 28, 2019
Maureen’s checklist covers the major bases.
A3: Here are the things I use to stay on track:
* Is it true?
* Is it sourced?
* Is it kind?
* Is it helpful?
* Is it constructive?
* Are you giving credit?
* Does it give or take from the greater universal good?
* Does it make your tummy feel funny? #ContentChat— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
And this article dives further into the issue.
A3: @EnVeritasGroup does a pretty good job staking out guideposts for ethical marketing in this post: https://t.co/WInjhsK7mx #ContentChat
— Shelly Lucas (@pisarose) January 28, 2019
Sometimes, though, even your best efforts to stay ethical will not change a toxic culture. That’s OK. You can attempt to avoid this by researching prospective clients or employers to ensure their values align with your own prior to working together. However, unethical behavior may not be easy to spot from an outside look.
A3 its maybe an oversimplification, but if you have the option, find an organization whose values align with your own. Then you’ll never be ethically compromised. #smnite19 #pmswish #ContentChat
— gillianforclass (@gillianforclass) January 28, 2019
I 100% agree with that. I had an analogy I used at the last FTE job I was at… being with a company who shared your ethical and moral views is like swimming with the stream rather than against it. It’s so much easier. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
Q4: How do you tackle unethical behavior with clients, employers, organizations, and your fellow marketers?
Unethical behavior has to be addressed.
It can be uncomfortable, but talking through situations can help find a potential remedy. Sometimes an individual doesn’t realize they are acting unethically, and a conversation can help educate them.
A4 I’ve been in the uncomfortable position of having a leader instruct the team to engage in unethical behavior and responding back to clarify. And stating that the request is unethical. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 28, 2019
A4: My habit is to give that person, or company an opportunity to correct behavior. It’s the fair thing to do. If they choose to continue that behavior, then I generally choose to step away from the company/situation/job. It’s not worth it. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
A fun ethical trick I like to try to suss out what’s happening is assume best intentions with someone until they actually spell out what they want to do. This can frequently force someone to spell out their intentions. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019
A4: I think it’s best to address any issues head-on. You can’t continue a working relationship that you don’t feel good about. Make an effort to remedy the situation. If it doesn’t work, move on. #ContentChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) January 28, 2019
A4b. If it’s orders from above or client (neither ever happen) asking for unethical marketing efforts, I would let them know it’s unethical, refuse to participate, and either come up with alternative or leave. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 28, 2019
A4: You need to just bring unethical behavior out into the open and discuss it. Be clear that, while this behavior might have been OK at one time, it’s not now, and we should change it. #contentchat
— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) January 28, 2019
A4: Call them on it, but don’t assume bad intent–they could be unaware. If being ethical isn’t persuasive enough, cite appropriate fines and lawsuits in similar cases. #ContentChat
— Shelly Lucas (@pisarose) January 28, 2019
A4: Unethical behaviour is like rust. It must be dealt with sooner rather than later. I do this with tact and diplomacy but sometimes I just have to challenge it head on! #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/8UfJGaHJ0a
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) January 28, 2019
Other times, individuals may be content in their unethical behavior. If you’ve given them a chance to correct their path and they refuse to take it, you can escalate the issue to other management (if possible), or choose to end the relationship.
A4b When the reply, after my explaining why the request would be an ethical lapse, was “Do it anyway” I said “no.” And walked out of the meeting. I found a new job shortly thereafter. #ContentChat https://t.co/VvhUo7ERUw
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 28, 2019
A4: A nice part of freelancing is that I can just walk away. I’m someone easily stressed out by conflict, so having to make an argument for ethics takes up energy I don’t have to spare. So it makes more sense for me to move on #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) January 28, 2019
As a consumer, you can reach out to brands and call out that their behavior is unethical. If they do nothing to remedy the issue, you can stop supporting them.
A4: As a customer and if is with a brand that I use, I would contact them with my issue and give them a chance to correct. With clients or employers, I would address directly and have a discussion around why and why not – see why they came to the conclusion they did #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger ✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) January 28, 2019
A4a. Externally – I stop following them or disregard them moving forward. Internally – totally dependent but it would probably fall on removing them from our efforts, fixing the problem publicly, and training or reprimanding (if bad enough). #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 28, 2019
A4. I’d let them know whenwver possible. Or I simply don’t buy their product due to the unethical nature of their marketing #contentchat
— M I A ✤ R O S E (@thekryptikrose) January 28, 2019
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