634.5.4.RB_StevensEric

Do you feel ethical guidelines make a difference to marketers? I think that ethical guidelines can be used in the marketing industry. With these guidelines I think that a sense of fair business practices can be obtained and the playing field and advancements of these companies can come at a cost of good practices. The idea that guidelines can be used at as a reference on how to do business should be standardized throughout the marketing community.

How can companies balance the need to win with being ethical? The product should be able to speak for themselves and the lower the costs and the unhidden agendas by the companies can make a huge difference in the way the consumer will view the company as a whole. By maintaining an atmosphere of ethical behavior in the, marketing and sales of these products can be achieved. I understand that the free market is based off of a capitalistic idea and that profit is the main goal of any company.

Is it ethical to track your buying habits or web visits to target you for marketing purposes? I think it is ethical to track the buying and tracking websites that people go to in order to market the product that consumers may be interested in. the unethical part is taking advantage of an issue where someone may be needing a product and they will practically pay just about any price for the product. The person who tracks the spending habits may try and sell the consumer a product they know the buyer may have an issue paying for. I understand that the buyer is responsible for the purchase but the supplier may also understand this and leave out the details of the cost in the end with finance charge in order to make the sale.

As a leader, how will you manage the ethical aspects of your marketing efforts? I believe in transparent marketing and the intentions of the supplier should be known by the consumer. I have witnessed educational institutions (Not Embry-Riddle) take advantage of students in order to make a profit for the school. I know of one institution who has said that we are solely a for profit institution and this does not sit well for me.