*deceptive packaging & advertising
*the creation of "false" needs
*invasion of privacy
*telemarketing sales calls
*selling your purchase histories

"The trade of advertising is now so near to perfection, it is not easy to propose any improvement. But as every art ought to be exercised in due subordination to the publick good, I cannot but propose it as a moral question whether [advertisers] do not sometimes play too
wantonly with our passions." (Samuel Johnson, 1759)

Marketing is a tool. And like any tool, is neither good nor bad.

Yes, marketing can be used for good or bad.

Marketing is neither unethical or ethical. How it is used determines the ethics.

But in and of itself...no.

It's like blaming bad spelling and grammer on the keyboard or pencil.

Excellent point Yancey!

most marketing is pointless and a waste .. unethical marketing is like the sterotypical salesman ... it's done by a tiny percentage of the companies who market ... but it is the stuff that people remember and comlain about.

if you are useing your sales and marketing skill responcible .. selling people stuff they want and need .. or stuff they just want .. then there is no problem .

if your sales and marketing is being used to sell people more than they need .. less than they need .. masking something they don't need as something they do.. while all your efforts are put into fooling people that what you have is really what they want ... your unethical

this also applies to the thread on using nlp and other persuasion tactics.

Here's my take on this:

The only one that's unethical is the fool that spends money on something because they don't have enough "snap" to say no!

Granted there are some in marketing that are a bit on the sleezy side, but who's at fault?

I think the buyer should be a bit more "responsible" for their own actions and should also take some of the responsibility.

Kind of reminds me of seeing folks who use food stamps to buy beer and smokes when they should be feeding their hungry children...

-- now that's unethical as Hell!

"Caveat Emptor" - "Let The Buyer Beware" comes to mind.

Delucian - I have a strong feeling that you've been duped by a marketer in the past.

Is this true?

If so, please tell us about it -- I love to hear your story.

OK Ken -

Before you read me the riot act, I just wanted you to know that my "other" personality popped out and raised it's ugly head and I think you might want to read this before condemming me to Hell...

http://www.copywritersboard.com/viewtopic.php?t=2490

dupped is when you don't believe your getting conned ... i have experience less than ethical means of selling and marketing.

the difference is .. i know the persuasion trick .. i know when they are being used .. and i will go along .. specially when things seem legit .

but there are time when companies out and out lie ... use knowlege people don't tend to have against them .. i know the world isn't perfect .. far from it . and getting duppd was a learnign experience.. things i won't repeat doing .

but it is not always the buyers fault if a comapny misprepresent their products ... and the buy buys it .. that stuff catches up to companies eventually though ...

it really depends on how you want to do business ..

ken