Monthly Archives: November 2011

In today’s class we talked about ethics in marketing. On the topic about Nike advertising during the World Cup even though Adidas had the sponsorship for the event, I actually don’t really think that there is anything wrong with what Nike did. I thought it was smart for them to be able to use the event to make a large marketing campaign without having to pay the large amount of money like Adidas did to get exclusive right. Of course, from Adidas’s point of view, this may seem very unethical as they had to pay all the money to get the rights, but Nike took advantage of that. I can see both sides of the argument where what Nike did was ethical or unethical. Obviously, being a student and not have not been working for any of the companies that has used and been ambushed, my point may been seem naive, however with the knowledge and the point of view I have right now that is the conclusion I have reached.

Price deception is also another topic that interests me. I’m not sure if this is true or not, but for the past few years the Nestle Halloween chocolate bars have shrunk, but the price for the box is still the same. Of course, as a consumer I would be angry, however since I have no choice but to purchase it anyways, I will have to accept that fact. However, for those people who still haven’t realized or know, is this ethical for Nestle to do that? My point of view is that if consumers are ignorant and don’t realize the change then they do deserved to be “tricked” by the companies. Ignorance is not a good excuse to be angry when someone realizes something after the change has been implemented for a long time. However, with the economy being in recession I can understand why companies have to reduce to this, but they should at least inform the consumers of the change and not take advantage of their ignorance. In summary, although I think it’s unethical for companies to use price deception as a strategy to earn more revenue, the consumers also have their responsibility to be aware of everything that happens around them as well.

I stumbled across a classmate’s blog (https://blogs.ubc.ca/brandonregier/) talking about how some companies are selling supplements that can “build better bodies”. Reading about this topic reminded me the weight-loss program Jenny Craig. They are a very successful weight loss/management, nutrition company. I think the marketing group of the company did a very good job in creating the marketing mix. First of all their service is much needed in a growing obese-population in North America and their timing was perfect to enter the market when people were becoming more health-conscious. Jenny Craig identified the customer’s needs and delivered the program at an appropriate time. The center locations are situated in large communities so make sure it can sustain itself, and provide convenience to the customers living in the area. And while providing a much-needed service, along with perfect timing and location, the company also made sure to promote. Television advertisements were one of the ways they promoted. If I remembered correctly, they showed clients that successfullylost a substantial amount of weight and a testimony from them. This appeals and motivates individuals that looks likes person on the advertisement before the program in hopes of looking like the person after the program. Although I am not sure of the success rate of the program, but the timing and promotion Jenny Craig made led to their success in the market.