Marketing Professionals Promote Products And Services In ORD

Marketing Professionals Promote Products And Services In Order To Educ

Marketing professionals promote products and services in order to educate and persuade consumers to purchase them. Many consumers believe that marketing satisfies their needs by developing and promoting products and services that they need. However, some consumers believe that marketing professionals create needs by promoting products that they do not actually need. Using the readings for this module, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, respond to the following: Examine whether marketing creates or satisfies consumer needs. Describe the “dark side” of marketing. Cite examples of companies that have compromised their ethics or values for increased sales and profits. Write your initial response in 1–2 paragraphs.

Paper For Above instruction

Marketing has historically played a dual role in shaping consumer behavior—both satisfying existing needs and, at times, creating new ones. The foundational premise of marketing is to identify and fulfill consumer needs; however, critics argue that marketing can also manipulate consumers into purchasing products they do not truly need, thereby artificially stimulating demand. According to Kotler and Keller (2016), marketing’s goal is to understand consumer needs and develop solutions that satisfy those needs better than competitors, implying that marketing inherently responds to pre-existing consumer desires. Nonetheless, certain marketing strategies—especially those involving persuasive advertising and scarcity tactics—may evoke needs that consumers were not previously aware of, thereby blurring the line between need satisfaction and need creation.

The “dark side” of marketing encompasses practices that deceive, manipulate, or exploit consumers for profit. These unethical tactics include false advertising, data privacy violations, and targeting vulnerable populations such as children or the elderly. For example, the case of Volkswagen’s emissions scandal illustrates a severe breach of ethical standards. Volkswagen falsely advertised the environmental friendliness of their diesel vehicles while installing software that manipulated emissions tests to meet regulatory standards, ultimately misleading consumers and regulators (Hotten, 2015). Such cases underscore how companies may prioritize sales and profits over transparency and honesty, compromising their ethical integrity in pursuit of market dominance.

Many corporations have historically compromised their values for increased profits. One notable example is Enron, which engaged in widespread accounting fraud to inflate earnings and stock prices, ultimately leading to one of the most notorious corporate scandals in history (Healy & Palepu, 2003). Similarly, the fast-fashion industry, exemplified by brands like Forever 21, has faced criticism for labor violations and environmental damage, raising questions about the ethical costs of fast-paced profit-driven models (Bain & Mclay, 2019). These cases reflect a pattern where the pursuit of increased sales pressures companies to operate unethically or disregard social responsibility, often with long-term detrimental effects on their reputation and stakeholder trust.

In addition, some companies have engaged in misleading marketing to boost sales. For instance, the tobacco industry historically employed deceptive advertising to downplay health risks associated with smoking, contributing to widespread public health issues (Proctor, 2012). Similarly, diet supplement companies have often made exaggerated claims about their products' efficacy without scientific validation, exploiting consumer health concerns for financial gain (Walker, 2019). These examples highlight how marketing strategies, if unethical, can harm consumers and undermine trust in business practices, emphasizing the importance of ethical standards and consumer protection in marketing.

In conclusion, while marketing can effectively fulfill and even stimulate consumer needs, it also possesses a darker aspect where unethical practices can deceive and exploit consumers. The creation of needs, often driven by manipulative advertising, blurs ethical boundaries and can lead to significant social and environmental harm. Responsible marketing practices that prioritize transparency, honesty, and consumer well-being are essential to ensuring that marketing fulfills its role in both satisfying legitimate needs and maintaining ethical standards.

References

Bain, M., & Mclay, M. (2019). Fast Fashion and Environmental Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 157(2), 501-514. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3714-2

Healy, P. M., & Palepu, K. G. (2003). The Fall of Enron. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17(2), 3-26. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.17.2.3

Hotten, R. (2015). Volkswagen: The scandal explained. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-34324772

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.

Proctor, R. N. (2012). Golden holocaust: The impressive and disturbing history of Tobacco Industry. University of California Press.

Walker, R. (2019). Deceptive health claims in dietary supplements. Nutrition Journal, 18(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-019-0441-z