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Unit 15: Sustainable Marketing

15.3 Summary Notes

Ethics refers to values and choices, and focuses on standards, rules, and choices in favour
of strict moral conduct that affect individual or group behaviour. There is need to examine
the application of the concept and support its application to marketing decisions that are
acceptable and beneficial to society. The difficulty is that what is ethical for one individual
may be unethical for another.
Marketers often act in their own self-interest and certain actions may be within the law but
still unethical. Responsible marketers believe that if they do not act in the public interest,
the public and customers will strike back at them with a vengeance.
Marketing ethics go beyond just the legal issues and involve decisions generating trust in
marketing relationships at all levels. Whether a particular marketing behaviour is ethical
or unethical is determined on the basis of commonly accepted principles of behaviour
dictated by society, various interest groups, competitors, company’s own management,
and an individual’s personal and moral values.
Social responsibility of business refers to the obligation of a business to make deliberate
efforts to maximise its positive contributions and minimise the negative impact on society
as a whole and on various groups of individuals within the society.

Under social pressures, central, state, and local governments promulgate laws and appoint
various regulatory groups to prohibit undesirable and unacceptable business practices.
Many such laws are framed in almost all developed and developing economies that regulate
product safety, packaging, labelling, pricing, personal selling, advertising, fair competitive
practices, environmental issues, etc.
Companies that are truly conscious about their social responsibility often voluntarily
undertake to improve or at least maintain society’s well being. Their actions in this regard
help in building long-term relationships of trust and respect with employees, customers,
and the society within which they conduct their business.
The Consumer Protection Act in 1986 provides for Right to Protection of Health and
Safety, Right to be Informed, Right to Be Heard, and Right to Improve the Quality of Life
(Ecological concern). The Act provides for establishing consumer protection councils at
the State and Central Government level and District Forums at the district level.

15.4 Keywords

Business Ethics: It refers to the measurement of the business behaviour on standards of right and
wrong.
Consumerism: Organized-efforts by individuals, groups, and governments to help protect
consumers from policies and practices that infringe consumer rights to fair business practices.

Corporate Social Responsibility: A company’s sense of responsibility towards the community
and environment (both ecological and social) in which it operates.
Ecology: The science of the relationships between organisms and their environments.
Green Marketing: Marketing products and services based on environmental factors or awareness
Opportunity: Set of conditions perceived as favourable that limit barriers or provide rewards.

Sustainable Marketing: Way of marketing which incorporates needs of the customer, the
organisation and the society in general over a long term.

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