Advertising and Society: Ethics, Regulation and Social Responsibility

1. Advertising and Society:Ethics, Regulation and Social Responsibility

2. Advertising and Society • Advertising’s visible social role makes it a target for criticism.

3. Advertising and Society • Some of today’s consumers believe that a great deal of advertising is unethical because it: • Adds to the price of products, • Is untruthful, • Tricks people, or • Targets vulnerable people.

4. Arguments for advertising: • Advertising creates product improvements and new product development • Advertising aids consumers in making informed product purchases • Advertising revenues support a free press system • Advertising actually reduces the cost of products to consumers

5. Arguments against advertising: • Advertising is largely unproductive to the general economy • Advertising’s primary goal is to persuade rather than inform consumers • Advertising does not affect the overall volume of spending but redirects consumption with no net economic gain

6. Ethical Criteria Advocacy Advertising Tries to Persuade the Audience to Do Something; It is Not Objective or Neutral. Accuracy Subtle Messages Trouble Critics Especially When Aimed At Groups Such as Children, the Elderly, or the Disabled. Acquisitiveness Are We Persuaded That We Continually Need More and More New Products? Consumers Make the Final Decision.

7. Ethical Issues in Advertising Puffery “Advertising Or Other Sales Representations, Which Praise the Item to Be Sold With Subjective Opinions, Superlatives, or Exaggerations, Vaguely and Generally, Stating No Specific Facts.” Taste and Advertising Product Categories Taste Issues Current Issues

8. Puffery??

9. Ethical Issues in Advertising Stereotyping in Advertising Women in Advertisements Racial & Ethnic Stereotypes Senior Citizens Gay & Lesbian Consumers Advertising to Children Controversial Topic Limits Set For Amounts of Advertising 3 Hours of Educational TV Per Week

11. Images of women in advertising

12. Tasteful?

13. Ethical Issues in Advertising Advertising Controversial Products Tobacco Alcohol Gambling Subliminal Advertising A Subliminal Message is One That is Transmitted in Such a Way That the Receiver is Not Consciously Aware of Receiving It.

15. Subliminal?

16. Subliminal ads

17. Ethical?

18. The Social Role of Advertising • Advertising contributes to the transmission of values and socialization of norms within a society

19. Use of Advertising for Social Causes • Advertising has become an important component in persuading the public to embrace a number of social causes

20. The Advertising Council • Colon Cancer • National Crime Prevention Council • Anti-drug campaign • Corporate cause-related promotional enterprises

21. Social Advertising • Advertising and Cause Related Marketing • Social Marketing • Cause-Related Marketing • Environment Marketing

22. environmental

23. cause-related

24. social

25. The Federal Trade Commission • Methods of FTC Enforcement • Consumers, competitors, or the FTC staff file a claim of deceptive practices with the FTC • The FTC begins its investigation • A complaint is issued if the FTC finds the practice to be deceptive • The advertiser is asked to sign a Consent Decree

26. The Federal Trade Commission • The FTC issues a cease and desist order if an advertiser refuses to sign a consent decree • The FTC may require a firm to run Corrective Advertisements • If a company cannot reach agreement with the FTC, its next recourse is the Federal Courts