marketing research ethical issues

6.4 Ethical Issues in Marketing Research

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

1 Describe ethical issues relating to marketing research.
2 Discuss ways to avoid unethical research practices.

The Use of Deceptive Practices

In marketing research, there are many potential areas of ethical concern. Each day people share personal information on social media, through company databases, and on mobile devices. So how do companies make sure to remain ethical in decisions when it comes to this vast amount of research data? It is essential that marketers balance the benefits of having access to this data with the privacy of and concern for all people they can impact.

Too many times, we have heard about the lack of ethical decision-making when it comes to marketing research or personal data. Companies are hacked, share or sell personal information, or use promotion disguised as research. Each of these can be considered unethical.

Link to Learning

The insights association.

There is an organization devoted to the support and integrity of quality marketing research. This organization, called The Insights Association (IA) , “protects and creates demand for the evolving insights and analytics industry by promoting the indisputable role of insights in driving business impact.” 21 Having a solid understanding of ethical practices is critical for any marketing professional. Become familiar with terminology, responsibilities, enforcements, and sanctions of the IA’s code of standards and ethics .

First, let’s look at some deceptive practices that might be conducted through research. The first is representing something as research when it is really an attempt to sell a product. This is called sugging. Sugging happens when an individual identifies themselves as a researcher, collects some data, and then uses the data to suggest specific purchases. 22 According to the Insights Association Code of Marketing Research Standards, researchers should always separate selling of products from the research process. 23

Other deceptive research practices include using persuasive language to encourage a participant to select a particular answer, misrepresenting research data subjectively rather than objectively while presenting the results, and padding research data with fabricated answers in order to increase response rate or create a specific outcome.

Invasion of Privacy

Privacy is another concern when it comes to marketing research data. For researchers, privacy is maintaining the data of research participants discretely and holding confidentiality. Many participants are hesitant to give out identifying information for fear that the information will leak, be tied back to them personally, or be used to steal their identity. To help respondents overcome these concerns, researchers can identify the research as being either confidential or anonymous.

Confidential data is when respondents share their identifying information with the researcher, but the researcher does not share it beyond that point. In this situation, the research may need some identifier in order to match up previous information with the new content—for instance, a customer number or membership number. Anonymous data is when a respondent does not provide identifying information at all, so there is no chance of being identified. Researchers should always be careful with personal information, keeping it behind a firewall, behind a password-protected screen, or physically locked away.

Breaches of Confidentiality

One of the most important ethical considerations for marketing researchers is the concept of confidentiality of respondents’ information. In order to have a rich data set of information, very personal information may be gathered. When a researcher uses that information in an unethical manner, it is a breach of confidentiality . Many research studies start with a statement of how the respondent’s information will be used and how the researcher will maintain confidentiality. Companies may sell personal information, share contact information of the respondents, or tie specific answers to a respondent. These are all breaches of the confidentiality that researchers are held accountable for. 24

Although we hear about how companies are utilizing customers’ data unethically, many companies operate in an ethical manner. One example is the search engine DuckDuckGo . The search industry generates millions of pieces of user data daily; most of the providers of searches capitalize on this data by tracking and selling this information. Alternatively, DuckDuckGo has decided NOT to track its users. Instead, it has built its business model on the fact that no user information is stored—ever. Ethically, DuckDuckGo offers users private searches, tracker blocking, and site encryption. In an industry that is continuously collecting and selling personal search information, DuckDuckGo is the exception. There is no concern with being hacked because no data is collected. 25

Companies with a Conscience

The Gallup Organization is a market research firm that specializes in understanding market sentiment (see Figure 6.11 ). Every year among its numerous polls, Gallup completes an assessment of the honesty and ethical approach of different professions. In the 2021 survey, nursing was the top profession regarding these two measures. 26

Gallup’s research led additional findings about the state of ethics for businesses. “Ethical standards need to be at the core of an organization’s purpose, brand and culture.” 27 But what about Gallup’s own ethical standards? Gallup is “a global analytics and advice firm that helps leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems.” 28 In order to be proficient and well-informed on the variety of topics Gallup investigates, it must hold itself and its employees to a high ethical standard.

Gallup completes multiple polls and research continuously. In order to meet the high standards of its public, Gallup must perform these practices in an ethical manner. Each step of the research process is completed with diligence and intention. For those reasons, Gallup is recognized for its ethically backed data. Gallup is a global leader in market insights and has locations in seven cities within the United States and an additional 27 locations internationally. According to Chuck Hagel, former Secretary of Defense of the United States, “Gallup is truly an island of independence—it possesses a credibility and trust that hardly any institution has. A reputation for impartial, fair, honest and superb work.” 29

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6.4: Ethical Issues in Marketing Research

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Describe ethical issues relating to marketing research.
Discuss ways to avoid unethical research practices.

The Use of Deceptive Practices

Link to Learning: The Insights Association

Invasion of Privacy

Breaches of Confidentiality

Companies with a Conscience: Gallup

A word cloud shows different words related to survey concepts. The largest word in the cloud is survey. Other large words are customer, opinion, data, customer, question, marketing, and business.

The Gallup Organization is a market research firm that specializes in understanding market sentiment (see Figure 6.11). Every year among its numerous polls, Gallup completes an assessment of the honesty and ethical approach of different professions. In the 2021 survey, nursing was the top profession regarding these two measures. 26

Ethical Considerations of Marketing Research

Small Business
Advertising & Marketing
Market Research
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Descriptive Vs. Behavioral Marketing

What are consumer cues, how does social media affect retail businesses.

Federal Requirements for Medical Billing Companies
E-Business Ethical Issues on Selling Personal Information

Marketing research has experienced a resurgence with the widespread use of the internet and the popularity of social networking. It is easier than ever before for companies to connect directly with customers and collect individual information that goes into a computer database to be matched with other pieces of data collected during unrelated transactions. The way a company conducts its market research these days can have serious ethical repercussions, impacting the lives of consumers in ways that have yet to be fully understood. Further, companies can be faced with a public backlash if their market research practices are perceived as unethical.

The Use of Deceptive Practices

The ease with which a company can access and gather data about its customers can lead to deceptive practices and dishonesty in the company's research methods. This type of ethical problem can run the gamut — from not telling customers that information is being collected when they visit a website to misrepresenting research results by using faulty data. At no time should a researcher ever coerce or pressure a respondent to give a particular answer. Any action that uses lies and deception to find out or establish information about consumer opinions falls under this category.

Another deceptive technique is known as SUGGING , the practice of selling under the guise of research. With this method, a salesman contacts an individual by phone posing as a market researcher. As they ask questions, supposedly in the name of research, they are in fact gaining information about a potential sales lead or even leading the person toward developing a bias for a particular product.

Invasion of Privacy

One of the most serious ethical considerations involved in market research is invasion of privacy. Companies have an unprecedented ability to collect, store and match information relating to customers that can infringe on a person's right to privacy. In many instances, the customer does not know or understand the extent of the company's infiltration into his life. The company uses this information to reach the customer with targeted advertising, but the process of targeting can have a chilling effect on personal freedom. Recent laws such as the EU's GDPR have increased punishments and fines for data privacy violations. Similarly, California has adopted a new law granting greater protections to resident consumers as well.

Breaches of Confidentiality

Another significant ethical consideration involved in market research involves breaches of confidentiality. Companies regularly share information about customers with partners and affiliates, requiring the customer to opt-out of the sharing if he doesn't want to be involved. (US and EU have different standards.) Some companies sell information they have gathered on customers to outside companies. Ethically, any unauthorized disclosure of customer information is problematic.

Undertaking Objective Market Research

Marketing and advertising have a significant impact on public perceptions. Market researchers have an ethical obligation to conduct research objectively, so that available data allows for the development of a balanced or reality-based picture. Researchers who allow their own prejudices to skew their work tend to contribute to the perpetuation of stereotypes in advertising, the development of destructive social constructs and the enabling of unjust profiting from poverty. For example, a market researcher with a one-dimensional view of minorities could do a fair amount of harm if allowed to shape an advertising campaign based on skewed data collection.

CFRinc.net: Best Practices for Dealing with Market Research Ethics
Cleverism: Social Responsibility & Ethics in Marketing
Greenbookblog.com: California’s Mini GDPR and It What It Means For Market Research
Journal of Macromarketing: The General Theory of Marketing Ethics - A Revision and Three Questions
Marketing Research Association: The Code of Marketing Research

Terry Masters has been writing for law firms, corporations and nonprofit organizations since 1995. Her online articles specialize in legal, business and finance topics. She holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a minor in finance.

Ethical marketing strategy, the disadvantages of internet censorship, can i use facebook to find people who owe money to my company, marketing issues that have ethical implications, ethics and deceptive advertising, examples of marketing research problems, ethical boundaries with customer profiling, ethical theories in business, why should employers track employees' online habits, most popular.

1 Ethical Marketing Strategy
2 The Disadvantages of Internet Censorship
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4 Marketing Issues That Have Ethical Implications

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When Neuromarketing Crosses the Line

Ania G. Wieckowski

Three leading researchers—a marketing professor, a philosopher, and a neuroscientist—talk with HBR about the ethical implications of neuromarketing. Although consumers typically accept that their purchase behavior is public, these experts say, they think of their brains and thoughts as private, which can lead to backlash against organizations that use neuromarketing tools. And while informed consent is standard in the academic world, it’s not always strictly adhered to on the industry side.

Another big concern, particularly among consumer advocacy groups, is subconscious influence. But, says one of these researchers, “nothing neuroscience could ever measure could definitively drive a particular purchase,” because so many other factors have input: mood, hunger, the presence of friends, how a product is displayed.

Nevertheless, neurotesting could be used to target vulnerable populations—say, by trying to create ads that will induce more teenagers to vape. Conversely, it has been shown to increase the effectiveness of public service announcements.

“One way to think about all these issues,” says another of these experts, “is that neuroscience incrementally improves our ability to generate effective marketing messages in many areas—it’s like turning up the dial a bit on the effectiveness of marketing. That dial turns up the ethical implications, too.”

Three leading researchers weigh in.

Neuromarketing can be a powerful tool for learning about and captivating customers, but there have long been questions and consumer backlash about its ethical implications. HBR executive editor Ania Wieckowski talked with Steven Stanton, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, and Scott Huettel—a marketing professor, a philosopher, and a neuroscientist, coauthors of a paper on the topic in the Journal of Business Ethics —to learn which concerns are valid and how marketers can address them.

Ania G. Wieckowski is an executive editor at Harvard Business Review.

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Ethical Issues in Marketing: Steering Clear of Pitfalls

Avoid marketing pitfalls with a proactive approach to ethical issues. Discover how to align your strategy with integrity for lasting success.

Entrepreneurs, marketers, and business owners know the importance of promoting products and services effectively. However, in pursuing profit, it's easy to overlook the ethical considerations underpinning marketing strategies.

How often have companies stretched the truth, exaggerated claims, or targeted vulnerable demographics to boost sales? These practices might yield short-term gains, but they can also lead to long-term damage to brand reputation and company values .

So, how does one navigate this ethical minefield and ensure that marketing efforts are practical and morally sound? The ethical responsibility extends beyond merely complying with regulations to ensure that marketing efforts are fair and respectful and do not exploit vulnerabilities for commercial gain.

By understanding and addressing these challenges, businesses can build stronger relationships with consumers and contribute positively to society while achieving their business objectives.

Ethical marketing refers to applying moral principles and values in marketing practices, ensuring that businesses engage in fair, honest, and responsible behavior towards customers, society, and the environment.

It encompasses various aspects, including truthfulness in advertising, transparency, respect for consumer privacy, and fair treatment of all stakeholders.

Common ethical faced by businesses in marketing include:

Truthfulness and transparency: This involves ensuring that marketing messages and advertisements are accurate, honest, and not misleading. Deceptive practices such as false claims and exaggerated impractical underlying consumer trust can lead to reputational damage.
Targeting vulnerable demographics: Businesses must be mindful of not exploiting or manipulating vulnerable groups such as children, older people, or individuals with limited financial literacy. Targeting graphics inappropriately can cause ethical harm to both individuals and society.
Privacy and data protection: With the proliferation of digital marketing channels, businesses must respect consumer privacy and handle personal data responsibly. This involves obtaining consent for data collection and safeguarding sensitive information.
Environmental responsibility: Ethical marketing extends to the environmental impact of products and promotional activities. Businesses should minimize their carbon footprint, reduce waste, and promote sustainable practices throughout their supply chain.

Trust is a cornerstone of brand-consumer relationships. Consumers today are increasingly vigilant and vocal about unethical marketing practices by companies. Instances of exploitation, false advertising, or disregard for societal values can quickly spread through social media and online platforms.

When consumers perceive a brand as unethical, they are less likely to engage with its products or services, resulting in lost sales and market share. Building and maintaining trust requires consistent adherence to organizer adults and transparent communication.

Key ethical marketing practices

Ethical marketing strategy encompasses a range of principles and actions that prioritize honesty, transparency, authenticity, and responsibility towards consumers and society. These practices align with moral values and contribute to building trust, enhancing brand reputation, and fostering long-term customer relationships.

Transparency and honesty are foundational principles of ethical marketing. Businesses should ensure that advertising and promotional messages accurately represent their products or services. This includes providing clear and truthful information about product features, benefits, pricing, and any limitations or risks associated with their use.

Another core value of ethical marketing is authenticity, which involves being genuine, sincere, and authentic to one's values and brand identity. Brands that prioritize authenticity build deeper connections with customers who appreciate their integrity.

Some well-known examples of successful ethical marketing are:

Patagonia: The outdoor apparel company Patagonia has built its brand around environmental sustainability and ethical manufacturing practices. Their "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign encouraged consumers to think critically about consumption and waste while promoting the brand's commitment to quality, durability, and responsible production.
TOMS Shoes: Through its "One for One" business model, TOMS Shoes pledged to donate shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. This socially conscious initiative not only differentiated TOMS from competitors but also appealed to socially conscious consumers, who valued the brand's commitment to positively impacting communities around the world.

These examples demonstrate that ethical marketing can be both socially responsible and commercially successful. By aligning their values with those of their target audience and prioritizing transparency and authenticity, brands can create meaningful connections with consumers while also driving business success.

Ethical marketing has become more than a moral obligation—a business's strategic imperative. Ethical decision-making in marketing can reap several benefits that contribute to a company’s long-term success and sustainability.

Let's explore three key advantages of ethical marketing: enhancing brand credibility and trustworthiness, building a loyal customer base, and gaining a competitive edge in the market.

Enhance brand credibility and trustworthiness

Ethical marketing practices bolster a brand's credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of consumers. When businesses consistently practice ethical marketing and communicate transparently with customers, they establish themselves as trustworthy partners. This trust forms the foundation of solid and enduring relationships between the brand and its audience.

Build a loyal customer base

Ethical marketing resonates deeply with consumers who value integrity and social responsibility. By aligning their values with those of their target audience, businesses can attract and retain loyal customers who prioritize ethical considerations in their purchases. A loyal customer base drives repeat business and revenue and serves as a powerful advocacy network.

Gain a competitive edge in the market

Ethical marketing can serve as a powerful differentiator in today's crowded marketplace, where consumers have many choices. Businesses prioritizing ethical decision-making set themselves apart from competitors and appeal to socially conscious consumers. By demonstrating a genuine commitment to ethical values and practices, companies can capture market share and establish themselves as leaders in their industry.

Implementing ethical marketing strategies requires a comprehensive approach encompassing guidelines for developing and maintaining ethical practices.

Businesses should establish clear guidelines and standards for ethical marketing practices, including honesty, transparency, respect for consumer privacy, and social responsibility. These guidelines should be communicated effectively to all employees and stakeholders, ensuring a shared understanding of ethical expectations and responsibilities.

Regular review and updates to these guidelines are essential to adapt to evolving ethical challenges.

Employee training plays a crucial role in promoting ethical behavior within an organization. Training programs should educate employees about ethical principles, provide practical examples and case studies, and empower them to make ethical decisions in their day-to-day work.

Fostering a company culture that values integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct from top leadership down to frontline employees is essential. Employees who feel encouraged to act ethically are more likely to uphold ethical standards in their interactions with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.

Businesses can leverage various tools and resources to assist them in ethical and responsible practices. As AI technologies play an increasingly prominent role in marketing, ensuring ethical AI use is paramount.

Businesses should prioritize AI ethics by incorporating ethical frameworks into designing, developing, and deploying AI-powered marketing tools and algorithms.

Industry associations, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions also offer resources, training programs, and certification courses focused on ethical marketing practices. These resources provide valuable insights, best practices, and support for businesses seeking to navigate ethical challenges effectively.

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Industry standards and regulations

Industry standards and legal regulations provide essential guidance for ethical marketing practices, emphasizing principles such as honesty, transparency, and fairness.

Organizations like the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have established codes of ethics and guidelines to promote responsible marketing communications.

Alongside these standards, legal regulations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) impose requirements to protect customer data and ensure fair competition.

Compliance with these standards and regulations is crucial for businesses, as non-compliance can lead to reputational damage, legal penalties, and loss of customer trust.

Moreover, ethical lapses, conflicts of interest , and data bias in marketing can undermine trust and credibility, necessitating careful consideration and mitigation strategies. Marketers must ensure that their decisions and actions are driven by the best interests of consumers and stakeholders rather than personal gain or organizational interests.

Engage your audience with ethical messaging

By showcasing corporate social responsibility initiatives and incorporating ethical storytelling into marketing campaigns , businesses can connect with consumers more deeply, aligning with their values and concerns. This enhances brand reputation and fosters trust and loyalty among customers.

Leveraging Mailchimp's suite of tools and services can further amplify ethical business practices. From audience segmentation and personalized messaging to social media management and analytics, Mailchimp offers comprehensive solutions to help businesses deliver impactful ethical messaging across multiple channels.

By harnessing the power of ethical storytelling with Mailchimp's innovative tools, companies can differentiate themselves in the marketplace, drive engagement, and ultimately achieve success while positively impacting society.

Ethical Marketing Research: What You Should and Should NOT Do

8/9/18 11:37 AM

By Intern Blogger on 8/9/18 11:37 AM

The Dos and Don'ts of Ethical Marketing Research- ksheets resized (1)

As a novice to the business world, I had no idea that there were so many marketing research standards and ethics in place. I have learned that research guidelines are designed to protect a company’s workers, its customers, and the validity of the information gathered — but the risk or reward for certain guidelines are not always clear. How can your small business get the cost-effective marketing research you need while still upholding multiple codes of ethics?

Defining Ethics

Ethics, in a broad sense of the word, is difficult to define. Personal ethics tend to vary greatly from person to person, however, each industry has a generally accepted, if not published, code of ethics. Infusing ethics throughout your business matters because it reflects both the beliefs your organization holds and on you personally.

Marketing research is such a ubiquitous function that it applies to the business, philanthropy, and academic worlds. For this reason, there are different codes of ethics for different types of marketing and research, such as social media marketing, marketing towards children, and public opinion polling.

The Importance of Research

Research is a large part of a successful marketing strategy. To market effectively, you should know your target audience, what they need or want, and the best means to reach potential clients. All of these require thoughtful, informed, and ethical research.

Unfortunately, research is often manipulated or falsified because it holds so much power to influence. We’ve all seen the stories on the news of faux market research (Crystal Pepsi, New Coke, the Ford Edsel, etc.) Falsified research can result in product recalls, misleading claims for investors, and threats to the safety of users.

These fears are why there are a variety of different ethical marketing research rules and practices in place. More specifically, marketing research is chock-full of ethical “dos” and “don’ts.”

Ethical Dos and Don’ts

Ethical Marketing Research_ The DOs- ksheets resized

There are important “dos” in ethical research, many of which are outlined by the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO):

DO respect the rights of all research participants: confidentiality, transparency, and privacy. Ensure that all participants are voluntary, and that they have the right to withdraw their consent at any point during the research process. Respondents must also be informed if they are being filmed or recorded.
DO establish with the firm you have hired to conduct the research that they are conducting it in your best interest, not theirs—that is, that the research being run is of no benefit to their personal or firm interests. It is best to come to an agreement about the means of research and the cost of the research before anything is begun.
DO be sure to cite the name of the firm that conducted the research, the purpose, and the dates of the study in any reports. Through transparency, you’ll show your viewers that your research is trustworthy, and that the strategies you used were effective.

Ethical Marketing Research_ The DON'Ts- ksheets resized

On the other hand, there are the “don’ts”:

DON’T cite any research in which the responses have been influenced or coerced. This is junk research and use of it is ultimately ineffective for promoting your organization or product.
DON’T ask the researchers for confidential information about the respondents or their responses.
DON’T dictate the methods used by the firm you’ve hired to conduct the research — leave it to the research professionals — but they should explain the 'why' of their recommendation .
DON’T ask for quantitative analytics from a qualitative study, and vice versa. If you need a certain kind of data, make sure the study is done in a way whereas the results are useful for your organization and purposes.
DON’T conduct primary research (new data) when you can purchase the results of a secondary study (already collected data) with the same purpose for much cheaper. Why pay for a costly survey or focus group when someone else has already done something with the needed results?

What Do Marketing Research Ethics Mean for Your Business?

As you can see, there are a lot of different ways marketing research can go wrong. Without a clear code of ethics, a mission-driven business could sponsor a focus group or other research project that can end up seriously harming them and their customers. Unfortunately, it happens all the time: the public catches wind of a suspicious business, said business is immediately denounced by many previous clients, and the business loses credibility, which can be difficult or even impossible to recover from.

Ethical practices in marketing research will create effective answers for your organization’s questions and build trust and credibility with your employees, clients, and stakeholders. A mission-driven, win-win approach!

Resources and related posts:

Definition of Target Audience

Definition of Buyer Persona

Best Means to Reaching New Clients

The Story of Crystal Pepsi (Business Insider)

The Story of New Coke (TIME)

The Story of the Ford Edsel (Business Insider)

Katie Sheets is a rising senior and English major at the University of Vermont. Originally from Connecticut, she hopes to use her love for language and writing to help other mission-driven businesses in the future.

Written by Intern Blogger

Intern bloggers are student interns at Marketing Partners who are offered the opportunity to write about their experience and learnings of interest to our community of changemakers. Individual guest bloggers are linked to their LinkedIn profile.

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Public Policy and Ethics in Marketing Research for Organizations

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Companies conduct marketing research to generate customer insights. Marketing research involves public policy and ethical issues. The objective of the study is to analyze such issues. The methodology adopted is a conceptual analysis of the various public policy and ethical issues. The issues relate to intrusions on consumer privacy, consumer data security, and misuse of research findings. The discussions focus on technoethics involved in data collection in the digital age. Responsibilities of governments and companies for consumer privacy, measures to protect consumer privacy and to ensure technoethics, consumer data protection, and ensuring ethics for marketing research are discussed. The discussions will allow academicians and practicing managers to adopt initiatives and strategies which are effective. Policy makers and authorities may analyze the various aspects and implement rules and regulations which are effective in consumer privacy, consumer data security and protection, in ...

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Ethical Consumerism in Emerging Markets: Opportunities and Challenges

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Published: 29 April 2024

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Smirti Kutaula ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8954-7234 1 ,
Alvina Gillani 2 ,
Diana Gregory-Smith 3 &
Boris Bartikowski 4

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Despite the economic, social, and environmental importance of emerging countries, most existing research into ethical consumerism has focused on developed market contexts. We introduce this Special Issue (SI) and provide a comprehensive thematic literature review considering three broad categories or aspects of ethical consumerism research, (1) contexts of ethical consumption, (2) forms of ethical consumerism, and (3) approaches to explaining ethical consumer behavior. We summarize the articles of this SI as part of the thematic literature review to provide an understanding of how these articles and this SI’s overall contribute to ethical consumerism research. Each article in this SI offers new insights into a specific field of ethical consumerism while focusing on emerging market contexts. Overall, this SI expands knowledge related to the dynamics and challenges of ethical consumerism and offers future research directions in this area.

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Introduction

The term “ethical consumerism” has been used with different meanings in various business management disciplines (Carrington et al., 2021 ; Papaoikonomou et al., 2023 ). For example, earlier, Cooper-Martin and Holbrook ( 1993 , p. 113) defined ethical consumerism in terms of buyer characteristics, namely as “decision-making, purchases and other consumption experiences that are affected by the consumer’s ethical concerns”. Similarly, Summers ( 2016 , p. 303) defines it as “the deliberate purchase, or avoidance, of products for political, ethical, or environmental reasons.” In contrast, Irwin ( 2015 ) defined it as a characteristic of firms, notably a broad label for companies providing self-appealing products (e.g., fair-trade coffee or charitable giving). More recently, Papaoikonomou et al., ( 2023 , p. 1) introduced the concept of ethical consumer literacy, referred to as the “consumer's ability to consume in a way that will not have a negative social, animal, or environmental impact”. While these perspectives vary in terms of focus on the consumers or companies, the common thread in these definitions is the agreement on the relationship between consumption and its wider impact on society and environment.

The call for papers (CFP) that we issued in June 2020 for this Special Issue (SI) on “Ethical Consumerism in Emerging Markets: Opportunities and Challenges” was not limited to a particular definition of what ethical consumerism is or a specific social sciences discipline. Rather, we aimed to encourage submissions tackling various aspects of ethical consumerism, but with a specific focus on the understudied contexts of emerging markets. Emerging markets are countries (a) with accelerated economic growth, (b) open to global markets, and (c) in a transitional (developing to more developed) status (Shankar & Narang, 2020 ). Hoskisson et al., ( 2000 , p. 249) defined emerging markets as “low-income, rapid-growth countries using liberalization as their primary engine of growth.” The focus on emerging market contexts is relevant for at least four important reasons.

First , emerging markets are powerful drivers of global economic development and represent great business opportunities (Arunachalam et al., 2020 ; Cuervo-Cazurra & Pananond, 2023 ; Deloitte, 2020 ). As established markets are saturated, multinational firms are increasingly turning toward emerging markets, where they expect to enjoy economic growth (London & Hart, 2004 ). Notably, while the global GDP is foreseen to grow by 1.7% in 2023, the GDP for advanced economies is projected to be 0.5%, while emerging markets excluding China are predicted to grow at 2.7% in the same year (World Bank, 2023 ). Companies targeting emerging markets have initially focused mostly on the wealthy elites, foremost to market high-priced luxury items, but they are now increasingly considering the bottom of the economic pyramid (BoP)—the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer segment (Hammond & Prahalad, 2004 ; London & Hart, 2004 ; Shankar et al., 2008 ).

Second , emerging markets are gaining economic power as developed economies are increasingly dependent on emerging ones, given the delocalization of manufacturing in categories such as fashion or electronics (e.g., Gillani et al., 2023 ), or the supply of raw materials such as rare earth elements or energy (e.g., Schmid, 2019 ). Two events demonstrating the high interdependency of developed and emerging market economies are the COVID-19 crisis with a dramatic shortage of medical masks in many Western countries because of global supply problems related to masks produced in China, and the 2022 shutting down of Russian gas supply to Europe.

Third , while emerging markets are drivers of global economic development, the benefits of globalization arise frequently at the expense of producers, people, and the environment in emerging countries. Such benefits are contingent upon lower manufacturing costs, minimal wages, or undesirable working conditions in emerging countries, and contribute to furthering marginalization of BoP consumers (cf., Ridley-Duff & Southcombe, 2012 ; Gillani et al., 2023 ). Governments, the media, and producers face great ethical responsibility for the economic development of emerging markets with significant implications for the “triple bottom line”—People, Planet, and Profit (cf., Carrington et al., 2021 ; Narasimhan et al., 2015 ; Rauch et al., 2016 ).

Fourth , emerging markets take increasing responsibility for global sustainability (Cheung & To, 2021 ; Dermody et al., 2018 ). Moreover, ethical consumption is frequently seen as a means for consumers to address social and ecological problems (Johnston et al., 2011 ). In key emerging markets such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey, socially responsible consumption is gaining traction (Jung et al., 2016 ; Papaoikonomou & Alarcon, 2017 ). The rise of the new middle class in emerging markets (Kravets & Sandikci, 2014 ) is driving increased consumer spending, coupled with a growing awareness of ethical and environmental practices and implications. As consumers are more aware and are increasingly considering ethical aspects in their consumption choices, they also expect greater transparency from firms and demand more frequently an end to exploitative practices, aiming for a fairer society.

Ideas revolving around ethical consumerism draw increasing attention from government bodies, journalists, activist organizations, marketers, as well research interests across disciplines (Carrington et al., 2021 ). Debates exist, for example, in relation to the fair-trade movement, consumer responses to CSR communication, anti-consumption and boycotting behavior, or social entrepreneurship. Our CFP for this SI was motivated by the fact that most ethical consumerism research, across disciplines, focuses on developed countries' contexts, but surprisingly little is known about ethical consumerism within emerging markets. Hassan et al. ( 2022 ) recently found that a significant majority (> 75%) of published studies into consumer ethics were conducted in developed markets contexts. It remains unclear whether important research ideas, devised for developed country contexts, can be generalized to emerging market contexts (e.g., Pels & Sheth, 2017 ). For example, Li et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, found that most of their study participants in China were even not aware of the term “ethical consumption.” This concurs with the view that terms such as ethical, socially conscious, or green consumers may be viewed as a “cultural phenomenon within affluent consumer cultures” (Newholm & Shaw, 2007 , p. 259).

To address these gaps in the ethical consumerism literature, this SI aimed to explore the relatively under-researched context of ethical consumerism in emerging markets. In May 2021, we organized an online paper development workshop which attracted 20 papers from 49 participants and 14 countries. Attending the paper development workshop was not a requirement for the inclusion of a manuscript in the Special Issue. The CFP ultimately resulted in a large number of journal submissions that we handled as guest editors and that underwent the peer-review process. After multiple rounds of reviews, the resulting selected manuscripts along with this introductory essay comprise our SI on ethical consumerism in emerging markets. The SI contains a wide variety of contributions that enhance our understanding of ethical consumerism in emerging markets and offer new perspectives. These include various conceptual and empirical contributions, focusing on diverse emerging country contexts that the authors sometimes contrast with developed market contexts. The authors of the finally accepted papers are affiliated with universities from emerging economies (China, India, Oman, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia), and from developed economies (Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, UK, and the US).

This essay is structured as follows. We first briefly present the articles published in this SI. The next section offers a thematic literature review to structure the existing ethical consumerism research and map the articles from this SI into the wider field. We then present key future research directions and conclude the essay. In doing so, we contribute to the ethical consumerism literature in two main ways. First , through a thematic review of the ethical consumerism literature, we classify three broad categories—contexts of ethical consumerism; forms of ethical consumerism, and understanding ethical consumer behavior, which help us to identify areas of convergence and divergence within the extant research. Further, we position the articles within these themes to highlight how their findings add to the existing ethical consumerism literature. Second , while the papers included in this SI offer many relevant insights and advance our knowledge and understanding of the field, opportunities for further research remain. Our paper provides key future research directions which can serve as a basis for more studies in this field.

The Articles in This Special Issue

Research on ethical consumerism is diverse and varied, and so are the topics that the authors of the articles published in this SI tackle. In this section, we briefly introduce the articles, we then draw upon them further in the thematic review and demonstrate how they add to the extant ethical consumerism literature, particularly in emerging markets. Table 1 summarizes these papers and we map their placement within the extant ethical consumerism research in Fig. 1 .

Themes and topics in ethical consumerism research

The opening article by Li et al. ( 2024 ) focuses on the Chinese practice of Danshari to clarify how differently morality is understood in Chinese and Western contexts, emphasizing that researchers should interpret ethical behaviors against the backdrop of specific country or cultural contexts. Using data from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP), the next article authored by Prikshat et al. ( 2024 ) offers new insights into consumers’ socio-cultural capital and country-level affluence as drivers of ethical behaviors in 34 countries. The following article by Osburg et al. ( 2024 ) demonstrates significant differences in sustainable luxury consumption in emerging (Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa) and developed (the United Kingdom) markets. After this is the article by Gupta et al. ( 2024 ) who study US and Indian consumers’ expectations about Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) consumption appropriateness and implications for new product introductions and brand communication. Using consumer data from China, India, the UK, and the US, the next article by Cheng et al. ( 2024 ) explores cross-culturally how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped consumers’ ethical orientations. After this is the article by Besharat et al. ( 2024 ), which enhances our understanding of how and why consumers from emerging markets (India, South Africa, and Iran) chose organic food products (tea, coffee). Using field data from Chinese campaigns, the next study by Xing et al. ( 2024 ) investigates the success drivers of reward-based crowdfunding for poverty alleviation in China. Following this is the article by Nayak et al. ( 2024 ) which explores Indian consumers’ involvement with social networking sites as an antecedent of consumer intentions to purchase ethically. Next, Mehmood et al. ( 2024 ) offer new insights into how the publicity of information on plastic recycling affects Chinese consumers’ plastic waste recycling intentions. Lastly, the article by Chan et al. ( 2024 ) uses consumer data to explore and empirically test the idea that ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism) indirectly drive ethical behaviors through cultural values, suggesting that ethical ideologies are “culture-free” universals from which cultural values are nurtured.

A Thematic Literature Review

The objective of our thematic literature review is to provide a broader picture of how ethical consumerism research has evolved in terms of recurrent themes and topics, as well as show how the articles in this SI add to various existing debates. We do not intend to provide here a detailed and all-inclusive overview of the literature on ethical consumerism. The sheer volume of published articles in various disciplines and from the most diverse fields (cf., Carrington et al., 2021 ) prevents an all-encompassing thematic literature review. We signpost below various existing review articles that the readers can consult for further in-depth or specific information on ethical consumerism research (Table 2 ).

Thematic literature reviews are well suited to identifying overarching themes or categories with common meaning, from various sources. Researchers approach thematic reviews in myriad ways, such as theory-based reviews (e.g., Hassan et al., 2022 ), meta-analysis (e.g., Dixon-Fowler et al., 2013 ; Waples et al., 2009 ), or thematic reviews (e.g., Ford & Richardson, 1994 ). We aimed to identify suitable structures to represent the diversity of ethical consumerism research in general, into which we embedded the articles in this SI. We drew up initial lists of themes and topics through discussions within the SI editorial team. We identified literature references through keyword searches (e.g., “ethics & consumption”) through pertinent literature sources such as Web of Science (WoS) and the references related to issues on ethical consumerism in the SI. Subsequent discussions within the author team uncovered new themes which led us to restructure our previous ideas. This ongoing process lasted until a suitable structure of themes and topics appeared and no new major themes that were not already specifically or broadly covered emerged.

We, thus, decided to categorize ethical consumerism research broadly in terms of (1) contexts of ethical consumption, (2) forms of ethical consumerism, and (3) approaches to understanding ethical consumer behavior. Through our literature review, we identified various specific topics within these broad categories. We offer short introductions to the selected themes or topics, summarize relevant debates, as well as demonstrate how the articles in this SI enhance our understanding of ethical consumerism in emerging market contexts.

Contexts of Ethical Consumerism

Authors have studied ethical consumerism in numerous different contexts such as ethical investment (e.g., Pilaj, 2017 ), ethical tourism and hospitality (Fleckenstein & Huebsch, 1999 ; Ma et al., 2020 ), fast-fashion (Pedersen et al., 2018 ; Perry et al., 2015 ), hybrid vehicles (e.g., Bhutto et al., 2022 ), biodiversity protection and conversation (Boiral & Heras-Saizarbitoria, 2017 ), climate change (e.g., Habib et al., 2021 ), sharing platforms (Nadeem et al., 2021 ) as well as institutional contexts of ethical consumerism (e.g., Adeleye et al., 2020 ; Ariztia et al., 2014 ). Five contexts relevant to the articles in this SI are globalization , organic food consumption, sustainable luxury, crowdfunding , and online social networking . We briefly summarize the relevance of these contexts and the contributions of this SI.

Globalization

The contributions of this SI to ethical consumerism research are strongly related to globalization and the increasing importance of emerging countries for global sustainable development. Researchers in this vein regularly emphasize the importance of culture (Bartikowski et al., 2018 ; Belk et al., 2005 ; Husted & Allen, 2008 ; Swaidan, 2012 ) and have reported significant differences in ethical behaviors across countries or cultures (Auger et al., 2010 ; Bucic et al., 2012 ; Chu et al., 2020 ; Davis et al., 1998 ; Lu et al., 1999 ; Oreg & Katz-Gerro, 2006 ; Walsh & Bartikowski, 2013 ). Cultural values or dimensions account for such differences (e.g., Lu et al., 1999 ; Vitell et al., 1993 ). For example, Gregory‐Smith et al. ( 2017 ) found heterogeneities in the willingness to pay for environmentally-friendly products across 28 EU countries.

The following articles in this SI are concerned with globalization or conduct cross-cultural comparisons. Prikshat et al. ( 2024 ) offer insights into the role of individual socio-cultural capital and country-level affluence as drivers of ethical consumer behavior across 34 countries. The findings indicate that ethical consumerism varies between emerging and developed markets, and cultural capital is a significant predictor of ethical consumerism, even stronger than social capital. Li et al. ( 2024 ) emphasize that morality is very differently understood in Chinese and Western contexts, requiring very different interpretations of forms of ethical consumer behaviors. Osburg et al. ( 2024 ) compare sustainable luxury consumption in emerging and developed countries. Further, Gupta et al. ( 2024 ) study mainstream consumers’ expectations about consumption appropriateness in emerging and developing countries, and Cheng et al. ( 2024 ) offer a cross-cultural comparison of how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped people’s ethical orientations.

Organic Food Consumption

Food consumption is one of the mainstream contexts for ethical consumerism research. Eating and drinking are central to human life and have an important impact on our health, which may explain the popularity of research in food contexts, and related aspects such as organic-, vegetarian-, meat-free, or vegan food. For example, Aertens et al. (2011) found that consumers are motivated to buy organic vegetables primarily because they are without pesticides, better for the environment, better for children, and more animal friendly. Studies report that consumers tend to be positively disposed toward organic food, and factors such as greater awareness of and additional knowledge about organic food can reinforce such positive attitudes (Aertsens et al., 2011 ; Chryssochoidis, 2000 ; Padel & Foster, 2005 ). Besharat et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, enhance our understanding of how and why emerging market consumers (India, South Africa, and Iran) chose organic food products (tea, coffee). The authors demonstrate that marketers may trigger mental categorizations within consumers of organic food (e.g., tea, coffee) and how such mental categorizations affect consumers’ brand choices.

Sustainable Luxury

The study of ethical or sustainable luxury emerged only recently (Davies et al., 2012 ; Kapferer, 2010 ), and research interest is recently gaining traction (Athwal et al., 2019 ; Osburg et al., 2021 ). Sustainable luxury is a broad term that englobes various ideas such as responsible luxury, green luxury, eco-luxury, or organic luxury (Athwal et al., 2019 ; Janssen et al., 2014 ). Simplified, sustainable luxury is luxury marketing integrating ideas on ethics and sustainability. The context of emerging countries is particularly relevant to sustainable luxury marketing, given that emerging markets such as China and India are important driving forces behind market growth in various luxury categories such as cars, fashion or cosmetics (Bai et al., 2022 ; Bartikowski et al., 2019 ). One relevant discussion revolves around the compatibility of luxury consumption with ethics and sustainability ideas (Achabou & Dekhili, 2013 ; Kapferer & Michaut-Denizeau, 2014 ). Work by Janssen et al. ( 2014 ) suggests that the “Catch-22 of responsible luxury” relies on two key factors, the scarcity and the ephemerality of luxury products. Other research focused on explaining how luxury brands’ CSR initiates affect consumers' brand perceptions and behavior, such as willingness to pay higher prices for sustainable luxury brands (Amatulli et al., 2018 ; Diallo et al., 2021 ).

Adding to this literature, Osburg et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, study how differently a product’s sustainability characteristics shape consumers’ product perceptions and preferences for luxury as compared to mass-market products in developed (UK) versus emerging markets (Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa). Considering watches as a product category, the authors show that sustainability (vs. conventional) product features lead to more positive consumer reactions (value perceptions and behavioral intentions). The effects tend to be stronger for luxury products in developed country contexts, and stronger for mass-market than luxury products.

Social Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding has emerged as a new marketing channel (Calic & Mosakowski, 2016 ; Fassin & Drover, 2017 ). Entrepreneurs can sell products to businesses- or end-consumers through campaigns that they establish on specific crowdfunding platforms through which they can reach backers worldwide. Crowdfunding is particularly promising to social entrepreneurs and poverty alleviation, given that pro-social crowdfunding campaigns, as compared to ordinary ones, tend to be more successful (reach funding goals faster, create more demand) (Calic & Mosakowski, 2016 ; Dai & Zhang, 2019 ; Simpson et al., 2021 ). However, such results are not conclusive, and social crowdfunding campaign success may also be contingent on factors such as the type of crowdfunding (e.g., donation-, lending- or reward-based crowdfunding), or the crowdedness of the platform (Defazio et al., 2021 ; Figueroa-Armijos & Berns, 2021 ).

Adding to this literature, Xing et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, explore success drivers of reward-based crowdfunding for poverty alleviation. Data from 4375 reward-based crowdfunding campaigns (2014–2020) in China shows that campaigns tagged as poverty alleviation, compared to ordinary ones, tend to be more successful, particularly for products that originate from poorer regions and when prices are lower. The authors corroborate findings from their field study with an experimental study, additionally demonstrating that engaging in poverty alleviation crowdfunding raises Chinese consumers’ feelings of warm glow which, in turn, enhances the purchasing amount. Activation of a warm glow is a psychological process that accounts for the success of reward-based crowdfunding for poverty alleviation in China. Given that China has long faced significant problems of wealth inequality, the results from this study may serve China’s government in furthering crowdfunding and targeted poverty alleviation policies to improve income for the poor.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, Instagram, or Qzone provide consumers with a large amount of information about others (friends, family), as well as about products and services. Researchers have studied ethical consumer behavior on SNS for example about harmful misbehaviors such as identity theft, cyberstalking, or cyberbullying (e.g., Freestone & Mitchell, 2004 ; Rauf, 2021 ), or focused on ethical issues such as greenwashing or employee surveillance through SNS (Clark & Roberts, 2010 ; Lyon & Montgomery, 2013 ). SNS are also the home for ethical social media communities (e.g., green communities or responsible consumption communities), which are groups of interconnected people that attempt to encourage some form of ethical behavior, such as ecological behavior (Steg et al., 2014 ) or ethical consumption (Gummerus et al., 2017 ; Zhang et al., 2021 ). For example, Shen et al. ( 2023 ) found that informational benefits that arise from community participation reinforce consumers’ ethical consumption behavior, whereas social and entertainment benefits affect loyalty to the community.

Adding to this literature, in this SI, Nayak et al. ( 2024 ) study consumer involvement with SNS as an antecedent of consumer intentions to purchase ethically. Based on a series of qualitative studies (observations, interviews, and focus group discussions) with consumers from India, the authors identify seven dimensions or aspects of SNSs that account for consumer attitudes, norms, and behavioral control about purchasing ethically. The seven dimensions include SNS efficacy (convenience, information abundance, availability, and immediateness), online communities (common shared interests), online word of mouth (timeliness, relevance, and comprehensiveness), consumer knowledge (objective information and subjective knowledge), social support (relational and informational), SNS communication (content and positive or negative valence) and price sensitivity (informational cue and assessment of sacrifice).

Forms of Ethical Consumerism

Ethical consumerism manifests in various types of ethical consumption behaviors such as the buying of ethical product options (Xing et al., 2024 ), consumer preferences for more ethical brands (Gupta et al., 2024 ; Osburg et al., 2024 ), or types of ethically questionable consumption practices (Chan et al., 2024 ). Ethical consumerism may also manifest in anti-consumption- or boycotting behaviors (e.g., García-de-Frutos et al., 2018 ; Lee et al., 2009 ), or in charitable giving (e.g., Bock et al., 2018 ; Jamal et al., 2019 ; Simpson et al., 2018 ).

Moreover, new forms of economic models are increasingly popular, with firms putting people and the planet first, in contrast to interpreting their mission in terms of profit-primacy and -maximization. These models englobe, for example, ideas on economic democracy or democratic economies—the idea of a shift of power and benefits from corporate shareholders and managers to larger groups of stakeholders and the broader public, leading to new forms of ethical consumer behavior. Related ideas appear in research into the fair-trade movement (e.g., Andorfer & Liebe, 2012 ; Gillani et al., 2021 ), the circular economy (Kutaula et al., 2022 ) or the sharing economy (Chi et al., 2020 ). Various authors have studied ethical consumerism from the perspective of ethical corporate behaviors . Related work revolves around moral values and organizational ethical culture (e.g., Barnett et al., 1994 ; Chun, 2019 ; Forsyth, 1992 ; York, 2009 ). For example, Drumwright and Murphy ( 2004 ) studied advertiser’s view of ethics or Al‐Khatib et al. ( 2016 ) differentiated global marketing negotiators based on their ethical profiles.

Resource-Efficient Ethical Behaviors

One prominent form of ethical consumerism is behaviors that consumers engage in for reasons such as utilizing given resources more ethically or more sustainably. Resource-efficient behaviors include energy-saving, waste, and recycling behaviors. Energy saving is the set of practices that reduce energy consumption, for example as a socially responsible response to climate change. For example, Gadenne et al. ( 2011 ) and Yue et al. ( 2013 ) offer insights into factors influencing consumers' energy-saving behaviors. Focusing on waste behavior , Roe et al. ( 2020 ) emphasize that nearly one-third of food produced on the planet never meets its intended purpose of human nourishment. The authors discuss the ethics of food waste in relation to food donation behavior or buying food with cosmetic imperfections (i.e., “ugly food”). Aschemann-Witzel et al. ( 2018 ) studied consumer characteristics influencing food waste behavior (choice of price-reduced suboptimal food) among consumers in Uruguay. Focusing on recycling , Hornik et al. ( 1995 ) offer a synthesis of research results from 67 studies on the determinants of recycling behavior, finding that “internal facilitators” (consumer knowledge and commitment to recycling) count among the strongest predictors of consumers’ propensity to recycle. Other studies predicted recycling behavior based on consumers’ environmental attitudes (Vining & Ebreo, 1992 ), moral orientations (Culiberg, 2014 ; Culiberg & Bajde, 2013 ), or recycling habits (learned automatic behaviors) (Aboelmaged, 2021 ). One sub-stream of the recycling literature is concerned with “bringing your own shopping bag” BYOB behavior (Chan et al., 2008 ; Karmarkar & Bollinger, 2015 ).

Adding to this literature, as part of this SI, Mehmood et al. ( 2024 ) offer new insights into how the publicity of information on plastic recycling affects Chinese consumers’ plastic waste recycling intentions. China is among the world’s largest plastic-producing countries, and the Chinese government regularly launches initiatives that disseminate information to encourage plastic recycling. Their findings suggest that the publicity of information about plastic recycling affects consumers’ perceived social pressure and recycling intentions positively, although the effects depend on media richness and the trustworthiness of the message content. Chinese officials may benefit from these ideas as they offer new insights into the effectiveness of information that encourages plastic recycling.

Another article in this SI contributing to the literature on resource-efficient behaviors is authored by Li et al. ( 2024 ). The authors suggest that seemingly ethical behaviors among Chinese may be motivated by factors other than morality, noting that morality is conceptualized differently in Asian (Chinese) than in Western cultures. Their study findings suggest very little awareness of ethical consumption ideas among Chinese participants. Instead, the concept of Danshari (separating, detaching, and departing from possessions) can efficiently explain seemingly ethical behaviors such as reuse or recycling behaviors.

BoP Marketing

The idea that multinational firms could grow profits and help relieve poverty by doing business with the poor has gained significant attention in the management literature since the work of Prahalad and colleagues (Prahalad & Hart, 1999 ; Prahalad & Lieberthal, 1998 ) (cf., Kolk et al., 2014 ). “Bottom of the Pyramid” (BoP) consumers from developing and emerging markets are among the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer segments (Hammond & Prahalad, 2004 ; London & Hart, 2004 ; Shankar et al., 2008 ). Kolk et al. ( 2014 ) offer a systematic review of 104 BoP articles published over 10 years (2000–2009). According to the authors, BoP research has evolved dramatically since Prahalad et al.’s initial work, deemphasizing the role of multinational firms over time and portraying wide variations in terms of BoP contexts, BoP initiatives, and the impacts of the BoP approach. Among others, authors have tackled topics such as BoP business models (e.g., Pels & Sheth, 2017 ) or the role of CSR as a success driver of BoP marketing (Davidson, 2009 ).

One stream of BoP research discusses issues on adequate or permissible consumption concerning BoP consumers (e.g., Hagerty et al., 2022 ; Hill, 2005 ; Martin & Paul Hill, 2012 ). Adding to this literature, Gupta et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, suggest that the proliferation of global media may make mainstream consumers more aware of multinational’s BoP marketing, and make them judge the firm for its BoP efforts. Mainstream consumers may have ideas about what BoP consumers should or should not consume and judge firms negatively for BoP marketing that deviates from these expectations. The findings from two experimental studies show that mainstream consumers in developed markets (i.e., the US) respond less favorably to companies launching hedonic (as compared to utilitarian) products in BoP markets, but no such differences exist for mainstream consumers in emerging (i.e., India) markets. For mainstream consumers in emerging markets, these effects are contingent on the brand’s country of origin (developed vs. emerging market) and the company's profit orientation (for- vs. non-profit).

Approaches to Explaining Ethical Consumer Behavior

The study of consumer behavior is concerned with individual or collective behaviors in purchasing contexts (e.g., why people buy or don’t buy ethical products) and is essential for a deeper understanding of ethical consumerism (e.g., Vitell, 2015 ). There are various review articles or meta-analyses on ethical consumer behavior, such as Bamberg and Möser’s ( 2007 ) meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behavior, Klöckner’s ( 2013 ) meta-analysis about the psychology of environmental behavior or White et al.’s ( 2020 ) review and framework about the drivers of pro-social consumer behavior. Hassan et al.’s ( 2022 ) review of 106 articles on consumer ethics finds that personal factors, social and interpersonal factors, and consumer emotions are the most frequently studied variables in explaining ethical consumer behaviors. We review key approaches to understanding ethical consumer behavior and summarize how the articles of this SI contribute to the respective fields (see Fig. 1 ).

Consumer Segmentation

Consumer segmentation is a central concept in marketing that numerous authors have applied to achieve a better understanding of ethical consumer behavior, including demographic segmentations of ethical consumers (e.g., Belbağ et al., 2019 ; Perera et al., 2018 ) or psychographic segmentations (e.g., Burke et al., 2014 ; Walsh et al., 2010 ). Such approaches to segmentation can also be noted in practitioner reports based on extensive market research. For example, Crowe and Williams ( 2000 ) identified five clusters of consumers based on individuals’ attitudes to, and actions on, ethical issues. Moreover, Shaw and Newholm ( 2002 ) proposed that contemporary consumers should be divided into two categories according to their level of consumption: consumers who maintain a certain level of consumption; and consumers who reduce the level of their consumption. Others have argued that consumers can be located on a continuum of ethics while moving between three main categories i.e., non-voluntary simplifiers, beginner voluntary simplifiers, and voluntary simplifiers (McDonald et al., 2006 ) that can be used as main segmentation groups.

Consumer Motivation and Personality

Motivation is an internal psychological force that drives people to act to fulfill some goals or satisfy needs. Besides physiological needs, researchers consider various psychological or psychogenic needs for a better understanding of ethical consumer behavior. Psychological needs may derive from consumers' individual traits and identity and include goals such as creating a positive self-perception or social recognition, both of which may be satisfied through ethical consumption (e.g., Cherrier, 2007 ; Dermody et al., 2018 ). Authors have considered various individual characteristics such as personality traits (Lu et al., 2015 ) or materialism (Kilbourne & Pickett, 2008 ) to explain some type of ethical consumer behavior. For example, Song and Kim ( 2018 ) found that virtuous traits of self-efficacy, courage, and self-control, as well as the personality traits of openness and conscientiousness, predict socially responsible purchase and disposal behavior.

Significant research considers that consumers’ moral principles and ethical values guide the adoption of pro-social or ethical behaviors (e.g., Chen & Moosmayer, 2020 ; Hassan et al., 2022 ). For example, Brinkmann ( 2004 ) suggested that ethical marketing initiatives invite consumers to take moral responsibility for the consequences of their buying behavior (i.e., how other people, animals, or the natural environments are affected). Morality is broadly about the internal norms, values, and beliefs that define to an individual what is right and wrong (cf., Crane & Desmond, 2002 ). Moral principles or motivations that support pro-social consumer behaviors may not be the same moral motivations for condemning unethical actions (Chowdhury, 2019 ). Researchers consider that individuals differ in terms of their moral maturity, with a significant impact on the adoption of ethical behaviors (e.g., Bray et al., 2011 ).

Adding to our understanding of how moral principles affect ethical consumer behavior, Chan et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, developed a new conceptual model suggesting that ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism) indirectly affect Chinese consumers’ ethical behavior through cultural values. Although numerous authors acknowledge the important role of ethical ideologies and cultural values in explaining ethical consumer behavior, only a few studies have integrated the two as determinants of ethical consumer behavior (e.g., Culiberg, 2015 ) and it is conceptually unclear how they are interrelated. Considering ideologies as an individual’s unconscious motivational processes, they assert that idealism and relativism are “culture-free” or universal and form the soil from which cultural values are nurtured. Results from a large-scale online consumer survey in China are consistent with the postulated impact of ethical ideology on forming an individual’s beliefs and cultural values, as well as highlight the importance of a thorough understanding of ethical ideologies for an enhanced understanding of ethical consumer behavior.

Moral principles and ethical values provide a conceptual background to studies considering consumers’ religiosity and spirituality as drivers of ethical consumer behavior. The link between morality and religiosity can be traced back to the theoretically unresolved discussion of whether morality can exist without belief in God or not (cf., Arli & Pekerti, 2017 ). Indeed, most religions largely agree on moral norms for good doing such as charity, honesty, or justice. More religious consumers may, therefore, be thought to be more ethical than less religious ones, but past research has suggested mixed results (Arli & Pekerti, 2017 ; Arli et al., 2021 ; Ramasamy et al., 2010 ; Vitell et al., 2016 ).

Consumer Attitude Formation and Change

Attitudes are learned predispositions about objects, ideas, or people and are central to understanding consumer behavior. Attempting to explain ethical consumer behavior, some authors have studied the antecedents of consumer attitudes toward CSR. For example, in the context of business students, Kolodinsky et al. ( 2010 ) found that CSR attitudes were positively related to ethical idealism, and negatively to ethical relativism and materialism, but there was no relationship with spirituality. Others have focused on the attitudinal consequences of consumers’ CSR perceptions in terms of attitudes toward the brand or other behavioral dispositions (e.g., word-of-mouth behavior, or purchasing intentions) (e.g., Ferrell et al., 2019 ).

One specific topic that has received significant research attention in ethical consumerism research is the “attitude–behavior gap”—the phenomenon that consumers may hold positive attitudes toward some type of ethical behavior, but frequently fail to execute them through attitude-consistent behaviors (e.g., Auger & Devinney, 2007 ; Carrington et al., 2010 ; Hassan et al., 2016 ). The phenomenon has led to significant theorizing about its socio-psychological origins (e.g., Carrington et al., 2010 , 2014 ), ethical decision processes (e.g., Hunt & Vitell, 1986 , 1993 ), or the processing of ethical information and believe formation (Shaw & Clarke, 1999 ). Researchers have studied the attitude–behavior gap in various contexts, including organic food consumption (Padel & Foster, 2005 ) and fair-trade consumption (Chatzidakis et al., 2007 ; De Pelsmacker et al., 2005 ).

Closely related to the study of attitudes is the role of emotions as drivers of ethical behavior (Aertsens et al., 2011 ; Camerer & Fehr, 2006 ). Authors have considered various types of emotions such as guilt and pride (Antonetti & Maklan, 2014 ; Chen & Moosmayer, 2020 ; Gregory-Smith et al., 2013 ), anticipated emotions (Escadas et al., 2019 ) or feelings of warm glow (Bhattacharya et al., 2021 ) to explain ethical consumer behaviors. Adding to our understanding of how emotions affect ethical consumer behavior, Cheng et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, explore how global crises affect people’s ethical orientations. According to the authors, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered terror (emotions of fear, death-related anxiety) within consumers, and ethical consumption may serve as a form of psychological defense mechanism against such terror. Moreover, ethical consumer responses may be affected by consumers’ belief in a negotiable fate, a characteristic that is particularly prevalent in Asian countries. The results from two studies with data collected from consumers in China, India, the UK, and the US show that perceived pandemic severity increased consumers’ intention to consume ethically. Ethical consumption can mitigate consumers’ mortality anxieties during crises, but this effect is reduced in tight (China, India) as compared to loose (UK, US), cultures. Consumers’ belief in negotiable fate is found to enhance ethical consumption but alleviates the effect of pandemic severity on ethical consumption in tight cultures.

Communication and Persuasion

Numerous researchers have explored consumers’ CSR perceptions (e.g., perceptions of firms’ CSR initiatives or CSR communication) as drivers of consumer behavior, broadly finding that positive CSR tends to positively impact relationships between firms and stakeholders (e.g., Bhattacharya et al., 2009 ; Osburg et al., 2020 ). This relationship is moderated by various company-specific or individual-specific factors (Cheung & To, 2021 ; Sen & Bhattacharya, 2001 ). For example, Ramasamy and Yeung ( 2009 ) studied the importance placed on Chinese consumers’ perceptions of firms’ economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities, finding that economic responsibilities are most important while philanthropic responsibilities are of least importance.

Most companies today recognize the important role of brands for business success and strive to enhance brand awareness as well as cultivate a positive brand image and reputation in the minds of consumers. Not surprisingly, numerous studies have focused on the role of signaling CSR or ethical corporate behaviors to enhance brand image and positioning both in business-to-consumer (e.g., Balmer et al., 2011 ; Bartikowski et al., 2021 ; Singh et al., 2012 ) and business-to-business settings (Su et al., 2016 ). For example, Brunk ( 2012 ) conceptualized the construct of consumer perceived ethicality (CPE) of a company or brand and developed scales to measure CPE empirically. Alwi et al. ( 2017 ) found for industrial buyers from Malaysia that perceived price and service quality affect brand reputation through ethical branding (i.e., the positioning of the brand with and “ethical identity”).

Consumers’ CSR perceptions result from information that they learn from sources such as the press, social media, or advertising. Numerous studies have focused on message effects ( message appeals and framing ) for an enhanced understanding of ethical consumerism. For example, White and Simpson ( 2013 ) studied how and why various types of normative message appeals (i.e., what others think one should do vs. what others are doing vs. benefits of the action) encourage consumers to engage in sustainable behaviors, finding that appeal effects depend on whether the individual or collective level of the self is activated. Message framing broadly refers to communication techniques that stimulate a certain interpretation of a given piece of information. Studies concerned with message framing in CSR communication tend to conclude that positively framed CSR messages (i.e., highlighting the positive) lead to more positive consumer reactions, although factors such as the product category (high vs. low risk) or the message specificity (concrete vs. vague) can moderate such message effects (Bartikowski & Berens, 2021 ; Olsen et al., 2014 ).

Consumer researchers frequently think of belief formation and persuasion in terms of a learning process and consider categorical learning (or categorization) to explain consumer behavior. Categorization means that people learn, remember, and integrate new information as they assign new incoming information in terms of how well it fits with existing knowledge categories (e.g., Bartikowski et al., 2022 ; Rosch & Lloyd, 1978 ). Drawing upon categorization ideas, the article by Besharat et al. ( 2024 ), in this SI, enhances our understanding of how and why emerging market consumers choose ethical products, focusing on the context or organic products (tea, coffee), and considering consumer data from three emerging markets (India, South Africa, and Iran). According to the authors, marketers may present products in terms of broader or narrower categories. For example, coffee may be presented to consumers either broadly by roast only (e.g., light, medium, dark) or narrowly by roast and origin (e.g., light roast, Argentina; light roast, Colombia). Such categories that marketers can easily create may lead to different product categorizations in the minds of consumers and inform their information processing and persuasion. In particular, they expect that consumers will notice more details when presented with narrow (as compared to broad) product options. A series of four experimental studies show that when consumers see narrow (vs. broad) product categories, they are more likely to engage in deeper processing and incorporate both salient (self-focused) and non-salient (other-focused) attributes into their choice decision. The findings are relevant to marketers of consumer-packaged goods aiming to overcome resistance against ethical consumption in emerging market contexts. Narrowly presented products encourage consumers to consider ethical attributes to a greater extent than they normally would and can encourage ethical consumption in emerging markets.

Future Research Areas

While the articles in this special issue have made significant headway into advancing new perspectives within the area of ethical consumerism in emerging markets, there remains scope for further research. In this section, we proffer some avenues for future research, drawing on insights from the submissions for this SI (outlined in Table 1 ) and our reflections. First , conceptually, while this SI explicates what constitutes ethical consumerism, it is also important to examine related constructs such as consumer social responsibility (Vitell, 2015 ), political consumption (Gohary et al., 2023 ), or green consumerism (Akhtar et al., 2021 ) to explore how these concepts intersect, which can often generate innovative insights. Further, the research could investigate the potential interactions between some of the themes we have identified in this essay—for instance, globalization and ethical consumerism, and how reshoring impacts ethical consumption in emerging markets as opposed to developed countries (Gillani et al., 2023 ).

Second , theoretically, going forward, studies could review more novel antecedents, mediators/moderators, and outcomes, which can drive more context-dependent theorizing. In this SI, Chan et al. ( 2024 ) advocate studies to use all four Chinese cultural value (CVS) dimensions, namely integration, moral discipline, human-heartedness, and Confucian work dynamism, and examine their effects on ethical consumption. Similarly, Prikshat et al. ( 2024 ) in this SI propose that researchers can consider using different indicators of ethical consumerism and trust and examine various individual-level values, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors.

Third , contextually, future research could focus on comparative studies with other emerging markets and developed countries to identify commonalities and differences and offer a wider context for the findings from these articles in the SI (e.g., Besharat et al., 2024 ; Chan et al., 2024 ; Mehmood et al., 2024 ). This can be done by studying the role of other relevant cultural factors that the studies in this SI do not consider, such as—autonomy, egalitarianism, and interdependent self-construal in shaping ethical consumption (Cheng et al., 2024 ) or assessing variables such as collectivism at a cultural level (Mehmood et al., 2024 ). We also urge researchers to integrate, replicate, and build upon work from this SI. An example is Nayak et al. ( 2024 ), who present a comprehensive model through their in-depth qualitative study, which can be tested on different types of consumers or in varied research settings.

Finally , methodologically, studies could be designed longitudinally to consider changes over time. For instance, Li et al. ( 2024 ) in this SI suggest examining Danshari among consumers over a period of time to provide insights into such culturally nuanced phenomena. We also recommend researchers expand causal associations, e.g., undertake field experiments, longitudinal surveys, and case studies (Chan et al., 2024 ; Gupta et al., 2024 ; Prikshat et al., 2024 ). Further, Cheng et al. ( 2024 ) in this SI encourage researchers to examine other constructs such as pandemic-related death thoughts, self-esteem, and symbolic immortality, and identify their temporal impact on ethical consumption.

Conclusions

Research on ethical consumerism is diverse and varied. Our thematic literature analysis has provided readers with a broad overview of existing research on ethical consumerism, as well as contextualizing the findings and contributions that the articles published in this SI are offering. Given the increasing economic importance of emerging markets and their impact on sustainable development, it is important that studies continue to explore and test the validity of concepts, models, or phenomena of ethical consumerism considering the specificities of emerging market contexts. The articles in this SI expand on important future research directions.

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Ethical Issues in Marketing: Examples and How to Avoid Them

Ethics in marketing has become a bit of a gray area, especially with the low barrier for entry afforded by the rise of digital and the shifts in political and cultural norms over the past decade. Brands are skating a fine line between what’s acceptable and what can threaten consumer satisfaction and brand reputation.

What is ethical marketing and why does it matter, key ethical issues in marketing, half-truths, privacy concerns, social responsibility, exploiting vulnerable populations, anti-competitive tactics, perpetuating harmful stereotypes, conflict of interest, how can brands ensure ethics in marketing, key takeaways.

As more scandals make the news, ethical issues in marketing have become a prime focus. Brands have to prepare to maneuver correctly to keep their reputation intact and avoid customer backlash and distrust.

Marketing is often thought of in terms of business success and profit, but it’s about more than that. There are powerful tools that can be used dishonestly, particularly with certain audiences. Marketing should not only support business goals but contribute positively to the stakeholders, public, and the industry as a whole.

For example, advertising claims that are partly true or come across as true encourage customers to buy harmful products and engage in behavior that is not in their own interest. Marketing in such a manner is ethically questionable, though there are no universal truths in ethics.

A great example is the pharmaceutical industry. It’s become more marketing-oriented to maintain high profits that offset the high costs of research and development. Some pharmaceutical companies will go as far as to influence medical professionals to prescribe drugs with events and kickbacks, while others have gone as far as to manipulate scientific research to obfuscate the safety concerns with their products. [1]

The American Marketing Association (AMA) does have standards for ethical norms and values , but ultimately, it’s up to the individual marketer or brand to determine what behaviors align with these established guidelines. [2]

Some may consider behaviors unethical while others may see them as part of the role marketing plays in a business. Regardless, these are the key ethical issues in the marketing industry:

For some of the public, marketing is synonymous with lying – and that’s largely because of marketing half-truths. From traditional marketing to the new digital landscape, ethical marketing has always stressed avoiding false or exaggerated claims that could mislead customers. This includes half-truths.

All advertising claims should be accurate, supported by evidence, and without exaggeration. Using unambiguous language that accurately represents the features, the benefits, and the performance of a product or service. Sufficient disclosures , such as disclaimers or fine print, are also important to avoid misinterpretation or ambiguity. As circumstances change, this information will need to be reviewed and updated.

One such example was the makeup brand L’Oreal, which faced fraudulent advertising charges in 2014 for claiming that its Lancôme Génifique and L’Oreal Paris Youth Code skincare products were clinically proven to get certain results. The brand used such phrases as products proven to “boost genes” and make skin look “visibly younger,” yet there were no studies backing these claims. [3]

High-profile data breaches have been making the news in recent years, including details about the use of personal information for marketing purposes. Consumers are becoming more aware – and more protective – over their privacy rights.

Protecting consumer privacy in marketing is a key part of ethical and responsible practices. This means safeguarding personal information that’s collected during marketing activities and ensuring it’s stored and used ethically. Brands should be transparent about the data they collect, why it’s collected, and how it will be used, giving consumers an opportunity to opt out or provide explicit consent.

One of the high-profile examples of data concerns in marketing was the Facebook data privacy scandal involving the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which allowed the collection of data from Facebook users in 2016. [4] Facebook faced legal issues over another data breach in 2021 that involved 533 million users.

Data protection measures are part of data ethics. Marketing teams should implement robust data protection measures, such as encryption and secure databases, which can prevent unauthorized access or breaches. Other ethical behavior includes regularly updating privacy policies, refraining from sharing or selling data to third parties without explicit consent, and promptly addressing consumer inquiries and concerns about data privacy.

Consumers have more options on the market than they once did, so purchasing decisions are governed by more than the product itself. They’re looking for brands that align with their values and contribute positively to society.

Social responsibility in marketing is the ethical obligation of businesses to consider the broad impact of their marketing activities on society. According to the AMA , this is to “acknowledge the social obligations to stakeholders that come with increased marketing and economic power” and “consider environmental and societal stewardship in decision-making.” [5]

In practice, this means integrating social and environmental considerations into marketing strategies to promote positive change and address societal issues. Products and services should benefit society and serve customer needs, not just create profits. Brands should also engage in cause-related marketing initiatives, treat employees and suppliers fairly, support diversity and inclusion, and reduce their carbon footprint.

Targeting vulnerable populations, such as children or the elderly, with marketing messages that are exploitative is a clear ethical issue in marketing. Doing so can contribute to unfair or potentially harmful outcomes, promote unhealthy behaviors, or create financial strain.

Furthermore, the AMA assets that the marketing industry should recognize the needs of vulnerable market segments and their commitment to it. One such example is the Nestle food and drink corporation, which aggressively marketed infant formula as a substitute for breast milk in underdeveloped countries. [6] In doing so, the company created a demand where none existed, made claims not based in science, and exploited a vulnerable or impoverished population.

Numerous strategies are anti-competitive. One example is “bait and switch,” which is a sort of fraud in which consumers are baited with advertisements for products or services at a low cost, but when it’s not available, they are switched to a more expensive product or service.

Another example is the pyramid scheme, which is a non-sustainable business strategy that offers participants payment or services in exchange for enrolling others. There are no real investment opportunities or a general market. Instead, the initial investor recruits further members for a price, who in turn recruit additional members to be compensated by the company.

One of the most famous examples of a pyramid scheme is LuLaRoe, a fashion company known for leggings and other athletic clothing. The company has been accused of running a pyramid scheme, selling faulty products, and engaging in unethical and unfair practices. In 2020, the average gross profit for LuLaRoe retailers was $10,073.41, but half the retailers earned less than $5,000. [7]

Many marketing scandals have arisen from marketers representing groups of people in a manner that perpetuates a stereotype. For example, a commercial for laundry detergent that features a woman as the mother and homemaker follows traditional gender roles that aren’t relevant in modern society.

Some stereotypes are more overt, however. In 2002, the clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch removed a line of graphic tee shirts from its shelves after receiving dozens of complaints from Asian Americans. [8] The shirts featured racist depictions and slogans, leading to activism against the brand from the Asian-American community.

Screenshot of Abercrombie & Fitch's offensive graphic tee shirt.

Source: NBC News

Screenshot of Abercrombie & Fitch's offensive tee shirt.

A conflict of interest is when a person or organization has two or more competing interests that can prevent them from performing their duties appropriately. There may seem to be a conflict of interest inherent to marketing, as brands are trying to maximize profit while consumers are trying to maximize purchasing power.

One example of a conflict of interest in marketing is the case of Jay Alix , the restructuring guru, against McKinsey & Co for allegedly concealing conflicts of interest to secure lucrative corporate bankruptcy work. [9] The case was initially dismissed by lower court for failure to prove his claims, but the decision was overturned by a higher court. Alix is still seeking federal racketeering claims against McKinsey & Co.

The key to monitoring the effectiveness of ethical marketing practices is through the measurement of results. Brands should have a robust ethical framework that guides their marketing decisions and actions – just like brand guidelines – and ensure that every marketing initiative aligns with these values. With a structured framework in place, marketing teams can review their activity within the construct of ethical marketing and evaluate their decisions before they go live.

Allowing campaigns to go live without this evaluation can result in an ethical scandal . Customers will react to the campaign and provide feedback, as will regulatory bodies if applicable, and the only response is damage control. While brands can rebound from a crisis, it’s better to take a proactive approach and reduce the risk of reputational damage from unethical marketing practices – whether intentional or unintentional.

At its core, ethical marketing is about “doing the right thing,” though there are no universal rules for what the right thing is. It’s influenced by cultural or political climates, current laws, and individual opinions. However, the AMA offers a framework to evaluate marketing campaigns within the ethical construct and work toward the ideal.

[1] https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/merck-manipulated-science-about-drug-vioxx

[2] https://www.ama.org/ama-statement-of-ethics/

[3] https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/06/loreal-settles-ftc-charges-alleging-deceptive-advertising-anti

[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-scandal-fallout.html

[5] https://www.ama.org/ama-statement-of-ethics/

[6] https://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6#nestl-was-accused-of-getting-third-world-mothers-hooked-on-formula-2

[7] https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/09/amazon-lularoe-documentary-lularich

[8] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/abercrombie-fitch-asian-men-masculinity-rcna25026

[9] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/jay-alixs-racketeering-suit-against-mckinsey-revived-on-appeal

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Ethical Issues In Marketing Research

Ethics in Marketing research refers to moral principles or values that a researcher or research organization should consider. Let’s identify and understand various Ethical Issues in Marketing Research with the help of a suitable example. Following are some issues and considerations regarding respondents rights which the researcher should consider in any marketing research activity.

Ethics in Marketing research, Privacy of respondents data and assurance (Emotional & legal) regarding that is becoming an important part of Marketing research. The CASRO (Council of American survey research organization) has also established a detailed code of marketing research ethics.

Table of Contents

Ethically, Sound Research (Good Research) considers the interests of 5 distinct entities which affect by the research proces s :

The General Public
The respondents in a specific study
The researcher
The research profession

Parties Involved in Marketing Research

Generally, three parties are involved in marketing research –

The client who sponsors the project
The supplier who designs & executes the research
The respondents who provide the information

Code Of Ethics By American Marketing Association (AMA)

The American Marketing Association has established a code of ethics i.e. principles of ethical practices of marketing research. We are explaining these points in simple English. These guidelines are for Research users, interviewers and research practitioners. Please note that the original language & statements of Marketing research code of ethics given by the American Marketing association may differ from this content .

The researcher should collect information for specific marketing research and should not use data for any other purpose such as to attempt the sale of merchandise or services.
The researcher should protect the anonymity and confidentiality of information collected from respondents.
There will be no intentional or deliberate misrepresentation of research methods or results
The interviewer should not use the gathered information for personal use or gain or advantages.
The interviewer should conduct interviews as per instructions and specifications received.

Ethical Issues In Marketing Research And Considerations

Purpose & use of data.

Collected data should not be used for any other purpose.

Information or data collected from respondents should not be used for any other purpose or for any other research work.

In this case, the researcher plays a crucial role and he can assure respondents about the security of the opinions and information given by the respondent.

Force To Answer

The researcher should not force any respondent for answers.

The researcher can explain the importance or necessity of answer to that question for research work, but he/she should not make compulsion or impel respondents to answer a particular question.

Data Confidentiality

Protection of data or confidentiality of data

Researcher or research organization should protect data properly.
They should keep confidential data or information very safe and secure.
Any client or outside person should not access confidential and important data from the organization.

Personal or Sensitive Questions

In case of personal or sensitive questions , the researcher should give time to respondents to think about it, and refuse to participate in the study.

Researcher or trained staff of appropriate sex can be used to reduce embarrassment caused. For example, suppose questions are related to the female product, then it will be better to select female staff to do the research.

Unbiased and Accurate

Proper, Unbiased and accurate information collection

Marketing researcher should collect accurate information and report to the research organization & client without any bias.

Ethical Issues In Marketing Research Involving the Protection of the Public

The researcher should not product falsified or wrong project or research report.

The falsified report may include –

Incomplete reporting
Misleading reporting
Nonobjective research

We can explain these points with the help of examples-

1. Incomplete Reporting

May not disclose potentially damaging information about the product
Leaving uninformed about undesirable features or characteristics of the product
May hide or omit negative information or may avoid reporting situational details that are necessar

For example, Researcher or organization may concentrate on that area where network or sale or reputation is strong.

2. Misleading Reporting

It may present in such a manner that the audience will draw a conclusion that is not justified by the results mainly observed in advertising campaigns

3. Non-Objective Research

Intentional or deliberate misrepresentation of research methods or results

Example: Conducting research in areas where the firm has an unusually strong distribution system or reputation, this is an example of non-objective research

Ethical issues in Marketing Research Involving the Protection of Respondents

Use of “marketing research” guise to sell products.

Guise: Illusion, Semblance or misleading by erroneous information, Invasion of Privacy Respondents

Right to privacy

Concept of privacy, informed consent and anonymity & confidentiality are three important elements involved in this “right”.
Consent: permission to do something, respond favorably to
Anonymous: not known name, identity or source

Abuse of respondents

Frequently interviewed respondents can be a form of abuse
For example – middle class, younger females (20-35) are particularly likely to be interviewed frequently
Long interviews may be another reason
Asking personal questions which are not required
Confusing questions, poorly trained interviewers, hard to read questionnaires, etc.

Ethical Issues Involving the Protection of the Client

Protection against abuse of position arose from specialized knowledge
Protection against unnecessary research
Protection against unqualified researchers
Protection of Anonymity
Protection of confidential and proprietary information

Protection against misleading presentations of data

Overlay technical jargon
failure to round numbers properly
Unnecessary use of complex analytic procedures.

Ethical Issues in Marketing Research Involving the Protection of the Research Firm

Protection against improper solicitation of proposals
Protection against disclosure of proprietary information or techniques
Protection against the misrepresentation of findings

Ethical Issues in Marketing involving the Protection of the Research Profession

Use of Accepted Research Procedures: Marketing researcher should follow sound research procedures or clearly indicate any departure
Certification: In the USA or Europe, Anyone can declare themselves to be marketing researchers without any certification or special qualification
Inappropriate use of Marketing research techniques: example: political campaigns.

Below is the list of reference and textbooks used for the article Ethical Issues in Marketing Research:

Marketing Research, Measurement and Method, Sixth Edition, Donald S Tull and Del I Hawkins, Prentice Hall of India Private Limited, New Delhi.
Marketing Research, Seventh Edition, Aakar, Kumar and Day, Wiley India Pvt Ltd
Marketing Research, Fourth Edition, G C Beri, McGraw Hill Companies
Marketing Research – text and cases, third edition, Rajendra Nargundkar, McGraw Hill Companies

This is all about Ethical Issues in Marketing Research and list of reference books used. You may also want to read Marketing Research Topics For Presentation .

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Friday 10 May 2024 22:26, UK

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Loaves of bread have been recalled from shelves in Japan after they were found to contain the remains of a rat.

Production of the bread in Tokyo has been halted after parts of a "small animal" were found by at least two people.

Pasco Shikishima Corp, which produces the bread, said 104,000 packages have been recalled as it apologised and promised compensation.

A company representative told Sky News's US partner network, NBC News, that a "small black rat" was found in the bread. No customers were reported to have fallen ill as a result of ingesting the contaminated bread.

"We deeply apologise for the serious inconvenience and trouble this has caused to our customers, suppliers, and other concerned parties," the spokesman said.

Pasco added in a separate statement that "we will do our utmost to strengthen our quality controls so that this will never happen again. We ask for your understanding and your co-operation."

Japanese media reports said at least two people who bought the bread in the Gunma prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread.

Record levels of shoplifting appear to be declining as fewer shopkeepers reported thefts last year, new figures show.

A survey by the Office for National Statistics shows 26% of retailers experienced customer theft in 2023, down from a record high of 28% in 2022.

This comes despite a number of reports suggesting shoplifting is becoming more frequent.

A separate ONS finding , which used police crime data, showed reports of shoplifting were at their highest level in 20 years in 2023, with law enforcements logging 430,000 instances of the crime.

Let's get you up to speed on the biggest business news of the past 24 hours.

A privately owned used-car platform is circling Cazoo Group, its stricken US-listed rival, which is on the brink of administration.

Sky News has learnt that Motors.co.uk is a leading contender to acquire Cazoo's marketplace operation, which would include its brand and intellectual property assets.

The process to auction the used-car platform's constituent parts comes after it spent tens of millions of pounds on sponsorship deals in football, snooker and darts in a rapid attempt to gain market share.

The owner of British Airways has reported a sharp rise in profits amid soaring demand for trips and a fall in the cost of fuel.

International Airlines Group said its operating profit for the first three months of the year was €68m (£58.5m) - above expectations and up from €9m (£7.7m) during the same period in 2023.

The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said earnings had soared thanks to strong demand, particularly over the Easter holidays.

The prospect of a strike across Tata Steel's UK operations has gained further traction after a key union secured support for industrial action.

Community, which has more than 3,000 members, said 85% voted in favour of fighting the India-owned company's plans for up to 2,800 job losses, the majority of them at the country's biggest steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales.

Tata confirmed last month it was to press ahead with the closure of the blast furnaces at the plant, replacing them with electric arc furnaces to reduce emissions and costs.

In doing so, the company rejected an alternative plan put forward by the Community, GMB and Unite unions that, they said, would raise productivity and protect jobs across the supply chain.

Rishi Sunak has told Sky News that the UK exiting recession shows the economy has "turned a corner".

He told our economics editor Ed Conway : "I am pleased that while there's more work to do, today's figures show that the economy now has real momentum, and I'm confident that with time, people will start to feel the benefits of that.

"We've had multiple months now where wages are rising, energy bills have fallen, mortgage rates are down and taxes are being cut... I'm pleased with the progress that we're making."

Mr Sunak added: "I am confident the economy is getting healthier every week."

Lidl will increase staff wages for the third time in 12 months, the supermarket has announced.

Shop workers in London will get £13.65, up from £13.55, while staff elsewhere will get a rise from a minimum £12 to £12.40 - at a cost of £2.5m to Lidl.

The supermarket invested £37m in pay increases in March, on top of £8m in September - a total of more than £50m in the past 12 months.

The increase comes into effect from 1 June.

Lidl GB chief executive Ryan McDonnell said: "As we continue to expand, we are welcoming more customers and attracting more colleagues into the business every day.

"It's absolutely right, therefore, that we continue to offer industry-leading pay."

Tech giant Apple has apologised after an advert for its new iPad model prompted outrage.

The ad promoting the thinnest-ever iPad shows creative tools including cameras, books, paint cans and musical instruments being crushed in an industrial press.

But many, including celebrities like Hugh Grant, decried the crushing of artistic objects.

In a statement released to Ad Age, Tor Myhren, Apple's vice president of marketing communications, said: "Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it's incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world.

"Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

The FTSE 100 has been propelled to another record high this morning after official figures showed that the UK is now out of recession.

The index, of the London Stock Exchange's 100 most valuable companies, is up more than 0.5% and hit an intraday (during the day) high of 8,433 points earlier.

The score is based on a calculation of the total value of the shares on the index.

It comes after officials revealed that gross domestic product (GDP) in the UK grew by a better-than-expected 0.6% during the first three months of the year.

However, commentators said investors had been buoyed more by the rising cost of metals, along with suggestions from the Bank of England yesterday that interest rates could be cut soon .

Russ Mould, from investment platform AJ Bell, said: "Given its international horizons, this has little to do with the UK's better-than-expected GDP growth and is largely being driven by strength in the resources space where higher metals prices and the promise of M&A [mergers and acquisitions] are helping to stoke share prices.

"The next key test of the index's new-found vim and vigour will likely come next week in the form of US inflation figures. Investors have broadly accepted rate cuts won't be as deep or come as soon as would have been anticipated at the start of the year. However, any signs inflation is proving much more stubborn than predicted would still represent a shock to the system for financial markets."

Among the movers on Friday is UK-based mining firm Anglo American.

Its shares are up almost 2% after reports that industry giant Rio Tinto has been considering a multibillion-pound takeover of the firm. It comes after Anglo American rejected a bid from rival BHP.

Meanwhile, shares in Vodafone are up more than 2% after the government conditionally approved its plans to merge with fellow mobile operator Three. However, an investigation into the deal by the UK's competition watchdog is still ongoing, meaning it’s not a done deal yet.

On the flip side, property listings website Rightmove is down nearly 6% this morning. It comes after the company cut its advertising revenue growth estimates in a trading update.

Rightmove said higher mortgage rates and lengthier completion times for sales were likely to weigh on buyer sentiment in the coming months, but it also forecast a better year for the UK residential market as a whole.

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.25 US or €1.16.

Sainsbury's is running a scheme that allows some shoppers to earn easy Nectar card points.

To earn extra points, shoppers just need to spend £1 across multiple transactions at Sainsbury's this month.

The supermarket says the scheme is available to "millions" of customers, though all it would say about the eligibility criteria is that it's "based on a range of factors".

Check if you're eligible

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Make sure you opt in once you see the message.

From there, you simply need to spend £1 or more five times - earning extra points each time.

The number of bonus points on offer varies for each customer.

The offer runs until 4 June.

Britain is not just out of recession.

It is out of recession with a bang.

The economic growth reported this morning by the Office for National Statistics is not just faster than most economists expected, it's also the fastest growth we've seen since the tailend of the pandemic, when the UK was bouncing back from lockdown.

But, more than that, there are three other facts that the prime minister and chancellor will be gleeful about (and you can expect them to be talking about this number for a long time).

First, it's not just that the economy is now growing again after two quarters of contraction - that was the recession.

An economic growth rate of 0.6% is near enough to what economists used to call "trend growth", back before the crisis - in other words, it's the kind of number that signifies the economy growing at more or less "normal" rates.

And normality is precisely the thing the government wants us to believe we've returned to.

Second, that 0.6% means the UK is, alongside Canada, the fastest-growing economy in the G7 (we've yet to hear from Japan, but economists expect its economy to contract in the first quarter).

Third, it's not just gross domestic product that's up. So too is gross domestic product per head - the number you get when you divide our national income by every person in the country. After seven years without any growth, GDP per head rose by 0.4% in the first quarter.

And since GDP per head is a better yardstick for the "feelgood factor", perhaps this means people will finally start to feel better off.

But this is where the problems come in.

Because while this latest set of GDP figures is undoubtedly positive, the numbers that came before are undoubtedly grim.

GDP per head is still considerably lower, in real terms, than it was in 2022, before Liz Truss's disastrous mini-budget, or for that matter lower than in early 2019.

Raising another question: when people think about the state of the economy ahead of the election (and obviously these new figures are likely to increase the speculation about the date of the election), do they put more weight on the years of economic disappointment or the bounce back after them?

Do they focus on the fact that we're now growing at decent whack or on the fact that their income per head is, in real terms, no higher today than it was five years ago?

These are the questions we will all be mulling in the coming months - as the next election approaches. One thing is for sure: this won't be the last time you hear about these GDP numbers.

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IMAGES

8 principles of Ethical Marketing
Ethical Marketing: Definition, Principles, & Examples
Ethical Marketing Research: What You Should and Should NOT Do
How To Use Ethical Marketing To Attract The Right Audience
Issues in marketing ethics and their relevant ethical concepts
Chapter 4 The Human Side of Marketing Research: Organizational and

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COMMENTS

6.4 Ethical Issues in Marketing Research
The Gallup Organization is a market research firm that specializes in understanding market sentiment (see Figure 6.11).Every year among its numerous polls, Gallup completes an assessment of the honesty and ethical approach of different professions. In the 2021 survey, nursing was the top profession regarding these two measures. 26 Gallup's research led additional findings about the state of ...
Ethical Problems of Marketing Researchers
Almost all studies on ethics in marketing research have focused on either delineating the responsibilities and obligations of researchers to respondents and clients or ... Judgments of Marketing Students about Ethical Issues in Marketing Research: A Comparison to Marketing Practitioners. Show details Hide details. Thomas W. Whipple and more ...
6.4: Ethical Issues in Marketing Research
Breaches of Confidentiality. One of the most important ethical considerations for marketing researchers is the concept of confidentiality of respondents' information. In order to have a rich data set of information, very personal information may be gathered. When a researcher uses that information in an unethical manner, it is a breach of ...
Ethical Considerations of Marketing Research
Marketing and advertising have a significant impact on public perceptions. Market researchers have an ethical obligation to conduct research objectively, so that available data allows for the ...
Ethics in Marketing Research
The article discusses ethical issues and dilemmas that may arise during the marketing research process. Topics discussed involve deceitful interviewers, use of leading questions, employing a sampling frame that overrepresents subjects with supportive responses, and deliberately misinterpreting results such that a company's product, an organization's mission, and so on, appear more favorable ...
Research on Marketing Ethics: A Systematic Review of the Literature
The growing field of marketing ethics research is investigating the many aspects of marketing that have an ethical dimension. This article provides a systematic review of this research by (1) developing a categorization scheme for marketing ethics research, and (2) by analyzing—via content analysis—all journal articles, which have been revealed by a major search engine for the time span ...
Ethical Problems of Marketing Researchers
The ethical issue most often indicated by search results, misusing statistics, ignoring pertinent data, both marketing research agency and in-house researchers compromising the design of a research project, and mis- involves problems with research integrity (Table 2).
Marketing Research Ethics: Researcher's Obligations toward ...
Marketing research has been widely recognized as the most ethically challenging business in marketing (see Lund 2001).Ethical questions are often raised in marketing research due to varying behavioral expectations and moral responsibilities of researchers who interact with respondents to collect data, and report findings to their clients.
PDF Marketing Research Ethics
3) International and cross-cultural issues in marketing research. While the items covered under 1),2) and 3) in this list are equally applicable in all contexts, the increasingly global market-place may raise some ethical issues that are unique to situations where the market researcher is crossing national borders or cultural divisions of any sort.
Research in marketing ethics: Continuing and emerging themes
Abstract. This article discusses both longstanding and emergent research themes in marketing ethics. It begins with a section on definitions and moves to an examination of research on: consumer ethics, product issues, pricing questions, channels challenges, and two emerging trends having to do with advertising and promotion.
When Neuromarketing Crosses the Line
Read more on Business ethics or related topics Market research, Marketing and Neuroscience Ania G. Wieckowski is an executive editor at Harvard Business Review. Post
Ethical Problems of Marketing Researchers
Judgments of Marketing Professionals about Ethical Issues in Marketing Research: A Replication and Extension. The authors examine, in the context of Crawford's 1970 study, changes in marketing professionals' research ethics judgments and the influence of organizational factors on those judgments. The results….
Ethical Considerations in Research
Revised on June 22, 2023. Ethical considerations in research are a set of principles that guide your research designs and practices. Scientists and researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when collecting data from people. The goals of human research often include understanding real-life phenomena, studying effective ...
Ethics in product marketing: a bibliometric analysis
The ongoing trend of business ethics is devoted to the researchers' involvement in empirical research and perceptual debate. However, in some cases, these debates appear to reach closer, and new ethical challenges in marketing emerged as a household of unethical marketing (Karimova et al., 2019; Murphy, 2017; Schlegelmilch and Öberseder, 2010; Abela and Murphy, 2008).
Ethical Issues in Marketing: Steering Clear of Pitfalls
Ethical marketing refers to applying moral principles and values in marketing practices, ensuring that businesses engage in fair, honest, and responsible behavior towards customers, society, and the environment. It encompasses various aspects, including truthfulness in advertising, transparency, respect for consumer privacy, and fair treatment ...
What are Ethical Practices in Market Research?
Ethical practices are what help establish trust between parties and provide structure for dealings. The market research industry is no exception to these ethical practices. Ethical practices in market research are moral principles that guide the responsibility to conduct and analyze research without deception to ensure authenticity.
Ethical Marketing Research: What You Should and Should NOT Do
Ethical Dos and Don'ts. There are important "dos" in ethical research, many of which are outlined by the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO): DO respect the rights of all research participants: confidentiality, transparency, and privacy. Ensure that all participants are voluntary, and that they have the right to ...
Public Policy and Ethics in Marketing Research for Organizations
Three major public policy and ethical issues in marketing research relate to intrusions on consumer privacy, consumer data security and protection, and the misuse of research findings (Mandal, 2021). 3. INTRUSIONS ON CONSUMER PRIVACy Consumers are positive about marketing research and believe that marketing research serves a useful purpose ...
Public Policy and Ethics in Marketing Research for Organizations
Marketing research involves public policy and ethical issues. The objective of the study is to analyze such issues. The methodology adopted is a conceptual analysis of the various public policy ...
(PDF) ETHICS IN MARKETING
The essay concludes with seven future research directions for normative marketing ethics and customer-brand relationships. View. Show abstract. ... Ethical Issues in Business (2008), chapter 13 ...
Ethical Consumerism in Emerging Markets: Opportunities and ...
Despite the economic, social, and environmental importance of emerging countries, most existing research into ethical consumerism has focused on developed market contexts. We introduce this Special Issue (SI) and provide a comprehensive thematic literature review considering three broad categories or aspects of ethical consumerism research, (1) contexts of ethical consumption, (2) forms of ...
Ethical Issues in Marketing: Examples and How to Avoid Them
The key to monitoring the effectiveness of ethical marketing practices is through the measurement of results. Brands should have a robust ethical framework that guides their marketing decisions and actions - just like brand guidelines - and ensure that every marketing initiative aligns with these values. With a structured framework in place ...
Ethical Issues In Marketing Research (Updated 2024)
Unbiased and Accurate. Ethical Issues In Marketing Research Involving the Protection of the Public. 1. Incomplete Reporting. 2. Misleading Reporting. 3. Non-Objective Research. Ethical issues in Marketing Research Involving the Protection of Respondents.
Money latest: Chocolate is a superfood
In a statement released to Ad Age, Tor Myhren, Apple's vice president of marketing communications, said: "Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it's incredibly important to us to design products ...

6.4 Ethical Issues in Marketing Research

The Use of Deceptive Practices

Link to Learning

Invasion of Privacy

Breaches of Confidentiality

Companies with a Conscience

6.4: Ethical Issues in Marketing Research

Learning Objectives

The Use of Deceptive Practices

Link to Learning: The Insights Association

Invasion of Privacy

Breaches of Confidentiality

Companies with a Conscience: Gallup

Ethical Considerations of Marketing Research

Descriptive Vs. Behavioral Marketing

The Use of Deceptive Practices

Invasion of Privacy

Breaches of Confidentiality

Undertaking Objective Market Research

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Defining Ethics

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Ethical Dos and Don’ts

What Do Marketing Research Ethics Mean for Your Business?

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Scarcity in today´s consumer markets: scoping the research landscape by author keywords

Introduction

The Articles in This Special Issue

A Thematic Literature Review

Contexts of Ethical Consumerism

Globalization

Organic Food Consumption

Sustainable Luxury

Social Crowdfunding

Social Networking Sites

Forms of Ethical Consumerism

Resource-Efficient Ethical Behaviors

BoP Marketing

Approaches to Explaining Ethical Consumer Behavior

Consumer Segmentation

Consumer Motivation and Personality

Consumer Attitude Formation and Change

Communication and Persuasion

Future Research Areas

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

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