Target Marketing and Ethics Brand Advertising and Marketing Campaigns

Abstract

Marketing to a targeted minority can provide a competitive advantage for an organization. However, there are ethical and legal concerns that must be carefully evaluated. Youth, children, and protected minorities, including women and the elderly, are a high target of advertising because of the increasing importance of these segments in making purchasing decisions. Recent population and demographic factors continue to impact marketing to address minority marketing issues with careful attention to ethics and social responsibility. This paper examines ethical concerns of advertising, the use of animated spokes-characters, marketplace discrimination, misleading practices, ethical concerns in minority marketing, and related advertising regulations. The authors conclude with recommendations for future research and implications for advertising and marketing practice. Policy implications are made for socially responsible advertising and marketing.