Marketing Ethics Essay Sample

Advancing technology has been part of our daily lives for many years now and it has gotten to the point where individuals as young as 2 and 3 years old are being exposed to television sets, iPad’s, smart phones etc. at an incredibly early age which can do damage to them as they grow up. The reason this can become potentially hazardous to their overall health is due to the fact that when the people who are part of the advertising industry produce and promote products that will make them easy money, the products that entail an easy profit are mostly junk foods and utensils/ to accompany those foods because it is less difficult and less time-consuming to create and sell, which ultimately is not beneficial to your health. The marketing of goods through innovative technology can play a significant role in the rising of statistics for overweight or obese children. 

Some people may argue that marketing ethics could be beneficial to younger audiences, if the advertising industry made it a priority to promote healthier food options for their viewers, then child who are exposed to those advertisements could be left with positive take aways from it instead of negative. For example, if a big networking company such as Nickelodeon presents healthy food items on their shows that can have an impact on the little kid that is watching the show with their eating habits (source B). There is a voluntary principle that is currently in the works that would help the industry have a more meaningful proclamation with the advertisement of healthier foods. Even though this will require more work for the marketing industries to take part in it will result in supporting the need for a healthier lifestyle for all audiences including children (source E). In addition to our nutrition being improved, other aspects of our health can be other advantages to be obtained from viewing certain advertisements. It has been proven that smoking commercials, sex education and several commercials pertaining to behavioral health has impacted individuals in America in a positive light. Over three hundred thousand teenagers have quit smoking after viewing commercials and have been educated on the horrible effects that occur when people smoke, especially at an immature age (source F) 

However, if bad foods are the main promoted items, then this is where the ethics of marketing goods for the public can have a negative impact on younger audiences. Those kids can be deceived by what they are being exposed to. When they are promoting unhealthy food as something that you can eat all the time children do not know any better and will perceive it as “normal” to eat them an excessive amount of time a day when it really is not considered normal (source D). Individuals that are trying to make a profit from their __ are going to do so in a manner that will benefit them in the long run. The process of buying foods and creating a product to sell to the public is very costly, so it is much easier for them to use things to produce this product that is not the best for your health. However, they earn more money in the process. 

From my personal experience I was influenced by my parents who were college athletes about the right types of foods to fuel my body. When it came to me being introduced to “junk food” through television it was not having a direct impact on my nutritional health because most foods that were being purchased by my parents were healthier. Yet if a child lives in an environment where the parents are willing to buy want ever a child desires from what they have seen on the television then in this case it understandable for their nutritive health to become poor (source D). So, if the people behind the advertising of foods were make the promoting of healthier foods and lifestyle a priority, then the statics for child obesity would drop and they can be more educated on their personal health in all aspects of life. 

Since there are people diligently working on this voluntary principle that was put in place to help the process of promoting healthier food options, then it would result in a positive outcome on the children so that they are not mislead on desires that they are being exposed to these advertisements when it comes to their nutrients.