Learning Objectives
      •  After studying this module, you should be 
         able to:
          – Explain the role of ethics in marketing
          – Use ethical standards to solve problems
          – Apply knowledge to marketing case studies
          – Understand marketing’s multiple responsibilities, 
             and identify the major social and ethical 
             challenges of marketing
          – Describe the principles of socially responsible 
             marketing
          – Identify government and public agencies that 
             regulate marketing activities and organizations
          – Define laws impacting marketing activities and 
             organizations
                            Marketing ethics
      •  Marketing ethics addresses 
         principles and standards that 
         define acceptable conduct in 
         the market place. Marketing 
         usually occurs in the context of 
         an organization, and unethical 
         activities usually develop from 
         the pressure to meet 
         performance objectives. 
      •  Some obvious ethical issues in 
         marketing involves clear cut 
         attempts to deceive or take 
         advantage of a situation
    Marketing Ethics & Consumer Rights
  • The law and regulations are 
   generally designed to protect the 
   consumers from unethical 
   practices by businesses
  • These laws and regulations 
   recognize that consumers have 
   certain basic rights in the market 
   place 
  • Each marketer must relay on 
   his/her own value system to 
   determine what is and is not 
   ethical
   THE POLITICAL-LEGAL ENVIRONMENT
   • Political-legal environment Component of 
   the marketing environment consisting of laws 
   and their interpretations that require firms to 
   operate under competitive conditions and to 
   protect consumer rights.
           GOVERNMENT REGULATION
           • Antimonopoly period of the late 19th and early 
           20th centuries.
           • Protecting competitors during the Great 
           Depression.
           • Consumer protection in past 40 years.
           • Industry deregulation began in the 1970s and 
           continues today. 
           • Newest regulatory frontier is cyberspace.
   GOVERNMENT REGULATORY 
   AGENCIES
   • Federal Trade Commission has broadest 
   regulatory powers over marketing.
   • Others include Consumer Product Safety 
   Commission, the Federal Power Commission, the 
   EPA, and FDA. 
   OTHER REGULATORY FORCES
   • Consumer interest organizations.
   • Self-regulatory groups.
   CONTROLLING THE POLITICAL-
   LEGAL ENVIRONMENT
   • Complying with laws and regulations serves 
   customers and avoids legal problems.
   • Influencing the outcome of legislation through 
   lobbying or boycotts.