So, you wanna be in Marketing, huh? Integrated Marketing Communications can be a rewarding career path. One has the opportunity to express their creative side and develop new methods to attract patrons to a store or visitors to their website. Using SEO (search engine optimization) or social media, grabbing the public’s attention is key. Be different. Stand out from the others. Find the right path to consistently display content across multiple platforms to drive your brand forward. Tapping into one’s creativity will be the rewarding aspect of this chosen career.
While doing so, one must always uphold the highest of integrity. We are required (and rightly so) to demonstrate the American Marketing Association’s ethical standards at all times. We must do so collectively as a team, as an individual, and through our content represent our brand. We must keep that in mind at all times whilst garnering the attention we so desire. These standards are broken out by professional norms and values to which one must adhere. With respect to the AMA, norms are … “Norms are established standards of conduct that are expected and maintained by society and/or professional organizations. Values represent the collective conception of what communities find desirable, important and morally proper. Values also serve as the criteria for evaluating our own personal actions and the actions of others…” (Code of Conduct: AMA Statement of Ethics, 2020.) Marketers are indeed representatives of both their company, but of also society. Thus, we are expected to uphold the following standards at all times: (Code of Conduct: AMA Statement of Ethics, 2020.)
- Do no harm: As a company’s marketing and society’s rep we want to demonstrate a consistent adherence to the law and cause neither pain nor harm to anyone in any manner.
- Foster trust in the marketing system: We must seek and obtain the trust of the community (local or global) by not deceiving our customers as it pertains to pricing of a product, design, communication and delivery of our message.
- Embrace Ethical values: In order to succeed in the industry, one is compelled to build relationships based on trust and expectations through a solid ethical value system.
The following are the ethical values one must exemplify as a member of the Marketing industry:
- Honesty – being honest in the price points and message to our customers
- Responsibility – consideration of all people, regardless of age, race, religion or creed, as well as recognizing our mandate to serve the needs of our customers and stakeholders
- Fairness – no price fixing or gouging; creating the balance between both the company’s bottom line and the consumer’s expectation of a brand without misleading content or mistreatment of the customer
- Respect: acknowledging and respecting the individualism that is our customer base; treat all as we would like to be treated- from customers, stakeholders, suppliers, etc.
- Transparency: never hide ongoing deals or discounts to customers; be open and honest to our base while being able to accept criticism and feedback from them (social media listening on outlets such as Twitter can be an effective tool to exercise this value)
- Citizenship: demand fair trade from suppliers; demonstrate the commitment to the 3Ps: People, profit and planet. Give back to your own company i.e. your employees, your community, your bottom line and your environment
It is important to be able to infuse these concepts and values into one’s marketing campaign. Transparency, for example, is vital. We must never deceive a customer with respect to the pricing or the performance of a product. If we cannot guarantee it, don’t. If a child needs adult supervision to operate a product, please make it is clearly visible in writing on the advertisement. Not doing so could lead to liability concerns and legal action. All of these values will define the company for which you represent.
Whether you’re demonstrating products in-store or sharing tweets, memes and / or videos of your product in action, your brand is on the line. Our goal is to be visible and make the public aware of it, right? With that comes the responsibility to represent it with honor and dignity. Failure to do so will result in a rise in detractors. Once a product or brand begins to reflect a bad impression, it could take years, if fortunate, to get the public to return. Keep this in mind as you engage in the path of Marketing campaigns. It is these strategies and tactics taken by your team that will define your brand in the public’s eye. It can be a daunting task, but all feats come with great risk – that’s what makes it that much more rewarding in the end.
References:
Codes of Conduct: AMA Statement of Ethics. 2020. American Marketing Association. Retrieved from: https://www.ama.org/codes-of-conduct/
