This is a rather different interpretation of marketing. It came across my mind after reading a news article online on parents forces their children to beg on streets. When I lived in Taiwan and Shanghai, I often see children begging on the streets or with their parents. People whom pass by usually throw a pity glance or short comments about the unfortunate life of the child. Another common event I have encountered was that children would ask me for money, then run away to the far corner where their parents awaits them.
Marketing is the method in which a party uses to reach out, communicate, build a relationship with another party or group to achieve its objectives. The most common marketing we’ve seen is advertisement, whether through commercials, logos, or even word-of-mouth. In this case, some beggars that I have encountered market themselves to be emotionally attached to the public. As human beings, we generally protect those who are fragile or in need such as young and elders. Having their children to beg on the streets, the parents use sympathy and pity we feel towards kids to catch our attention. Such method is unethical because kids should be protected and raised in a healthy environment, instead, their lives are used by their parents to achieve profitable goals. Parents have the responsibility to take care of their children since they are unable to do so themselves, but forcing them to beg promotes a unhealthy family relationship.
