The Ethics Behind Field Marketing

In our fast paced world we are constantly be marketed at, almost anything we see is an advertisement. So often we are being pitched and sold something that the customer becomes defensive. It is of utmost importance within field marketing that the comfort of the customer (or potential customer) is respected and encouraged. Ethics and the duty of the field marketer towards the care of the public must be handled carefully. One can easily be tempted into cutting corners or making promises that cannot be kept. If you are relying on the small print as a get out clause think again. Although you may be lightly sticking to the rules of the contract and legally are in the right, if the customer feels tricked or hard done by not only will you be losing their custom, you will have lost any other sales to the people they have warned against your business. It is not good business to ignore ethics and even if you don’t feel the wrath just yet, your bank balance will. Relationships are central to business success; these must be genuine and long lasting. By following the essential rules of marketing ethics they can be achieved easily. Tomorrow's Company, a report published by the Royal Society of Arts in 1995 argued that successful companies which have a 'success model' which embraces the interests of all involved in the company was backed by some of the best leaders of the time. If the shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees and community were being listened to and looked after then, it argued, the company would be far more successful that had it dogmatically ignored their requests in the selfish hunt for profit. In 1996 it was found that the most visionary companies in the US were in fact the ones who did not put their strive for monetary gain at the forefront of their mission statement but rather a core ideology that often stressed responsibility to others. It is becoming more pronounced that people prefer to work and deal with companies that they can trust. They want to know the company behind the brand. It is therefore of crucial importance to remain translucent in this way. This is why social media is so popular as a business tool at the moment. Not only is it a platform to inform your customers of your sales, offers, products etc. it is a way for your customers to interact with your brand and communicate their thoughts and opinions to and about your company. If you can be organised enough to have a strategy for this online marketing then it is a fantastic way of ethically promoting yourself. For example The Virgin brand is extremely diverse, hugely profitable and still expanding. As a member of the public we know so much about the ins and outs of Richard Branson’s brain child including yearly figures. This is a fine example to follow.