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MIKE SIMPSON is the Editor of the IMM Journal    inmyopinion
of Strategic Marketing. He has 30-plus years’
experience in the global media industry and      informed insight infront
has worked in the print and electronic sectors,
as well as in public relations and marketing.

Be a beacon of honesty
in an unethical world

Ethical behaviour seems to be in short supply right now. When it comes to business,
marketing is often given the blame by cynical consumers. So it’s time for marketers to

                    work on changing that perception. By Mike Simpson.

IRECENTLY READ VERY PERTINENT              a difference. Apart from being the right  (eventually and after many complaints)
      comments by Reverend Barney          thing to do, it’s also about saving a     completing the work, they began to
      Pityana, minister of religion,       company from itself. Because doing        harass him for the other half of the
former Vice-Chancellor of Unisa and        wrong is ultimately bad for business.     payment – up to eight phone calls a day.
human rights lawyer. Speaking at an
event to honour Archbishop Emeritus          The Volkswagen emissions scandal          It’s little wonder, then, that consumers
Desmond Tutu, he mentioned how             has wiped US$12-billion off its brand     are increasingly suspicious of business
‘goodness’ in South Africa has gone out    value, according to figures from Brand    in general. As an article in this issue
of fashion and the country lacks good      Finance. Electronics giant Toshiba is in  on Marketing Ethics (pg 40) points
men and women of honour.                                                             out: “There can be little argument that
                                           ?                                         consumers are growing more suspicious
  This magazine is not a political         Marketers are a key                       of business. They question its motives
soapbox. Concerns around politicians       interface between                         and, increasingly, it is marketing which
who are on the gravy train (…or the high-  business and public                       is being said to be manipulative.”
speed gravy express …) have already
been well documented elsewhere.            trouble after it overstated its earnings    The author, Professor Hubert
                                           by a massive US$2-billion. Closer to      Gatignon of the respected Insead
  But the generally lamentable state       home, the SA construction industry        Business School, notes: “I suggest that
of honesty and good citizenship in SA      is still feeling the impact of the price  the profession – both academics and
– whether we’re talking the business       collusion scandal around stadium          practitioners – should be proactive in
sector or elsewhere – is concerning.       contracts for the 2010 World Cup.         changing these viewpoints.”
There’s little that marketers can do to
curb the traffic officer who solicits a      At a local level, a waterproofing         Indeed. Nobody wants to be part of a
bribe or the motorist who offers it; the   business in Johannesburg is surely        profession that’s regarded as dubious.
homeowner who makes a false claim          feeling the heat after an acquaintance    Consumers don’t want to do business
against their insurance policy; or the     mounted a social media campaign to        with an organisation they think is
civil servant who awards a tender to       highlight their dubious practices. The    untrustworthy. Such a lack of all-round
their spouse.                              company accepted his 50% deposit for      trust is corrosive and damaging to all.
                                           a project and then took more than a
  But when it comes to dishonesty or       year to arrive on site. Within hours of     Marketers cannot solve the problem.
questionable ethics in the workplace,                                                But they’re in a better position than
then marketers – as a key interface                                                  most to understand the public’s
between an organisation and its external                                             viewpoints and carry those concerns
audiences – should be working to make                                                through to all parts of the business.
                                                                                     And the time to do it is now.

4 strategicmarketing August–September 2016
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