Ethical Questions in Advertising and Marketing Careers

Many bright-eyed college students stumble into a business major because they think it’s a practical choice that will bear financial fruit. After they graduate, these folks may take entry-level jobs in advertising and marketing without examining their values and how their new careers reflect (or don’t reflect) those values. Truth be told, most of the seasoned, jet-set lifers in these fields don’t consider inherent ethical questions in advertising and marketing careers either.

This isn’t to say that all advertising executives and marketing professionals act unethically – or that they’re the only people who need to ask ethical questions about their work. Critical reflection something everyone should do on their jobs. However, sometimes people in advertising and marketing careers are so sharp, creative, and driven that they can convince themselves they’re being socially responsible - or worse, that it doesn’t even matter as long as they make money.

Because I like to see people question the status quo, I’ve collected a list of ethical questions in advertising and marketing careers. While it’s by no means exhaustive, I hope this will encourage people at any stage in the business to reflect on what they’re doing.

Ethical Questions in Advertising and Marketing Careers: #1
Every person whose goal is to inform, promote, generate a buzz, or otherwise draw attention to a product or service must face this question: are you hyping something beyond reality? Put another way, do you actually believe what you’re saying about the product? If not, then why are you saying it?