Principles of Marketing (16th Edition)

Published by Prentice Hall
ISBN 10: 0-13379-502-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-13379-502-8

Chapter 1 - Marketing: Creating Customer Value and Engagement - Marketing Ethics Extreme Baby Monitoring - Page 33: 1-11

Answer

The ethics of playing on parents' fear is a complex and complicated one. Traditionally, the primary goal of marketing should be to engage customers and build a confident relationship with them. Despite this theoretical use of marketing strategies, organizations market different products differently, based on the nature of the product. Organizations believe the use of fear will promote some products more effectively than others. An excellent example of this fear tactic includes marketing campaigns for toothpastes. Parents are often targeted with fear tactics that suggest that, if they do not buy their children a particular type of toothpaste, their children will suffer dire consequences. This type of marketing strategy preys on parents' fears and doubts and suggests that, if parents purchase a suggested product, their fears can be satiated and solved. In this way, fear tactics do help to reach some customers and sell some products in an effective way.

Work Step by Step

The ethics of playing on parents' fear is a complex and complicated one. Traditionally, the primary goal of marketing should be to engage customers and build a confident relationship with them. Despite this theoretical use of marketing strategies, organizations market different products differently, based on the nature of the product. Organizations believe the use of fear will promote some products more effectively than others. An excellent example of this fear tactic includes marketing campaigns for toothpastes. Parents are often targeted with fear tactics that suggest that, if they do not buy their children a particular type of toothpaste, their children will suffer dire consequences. This type of marketing strategy preys on parents' fears and doubts and suggests that, if parents purchase a suggested product, their fears can be satiated and solved. In this way, fear tactics do help to reach some customers and sell some products in an effective way.
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