Ethical Marketing for Competitive Advantage on the Internet

Marketing practice is now busy integrating the potential of information and communication technologies through theutilization of databases and Internet marketing. Billions of potential consumers can now be reached this way.Nevertheless, a brief observation of the practices of marketing on the Internet show that some firms implement aggressiveactions such as pop-ups, deceiving banners and hyperlinks and other forms of intrusive mechanisms which impinge onpersonal privacy. As technology moves from desk based PC applications to mobile communications, there is potential tobecome even more intrusive, with the possibility of local tracking (within a 50 metre radius of a food or retail outlet).

Given the fact that such powerful devices will become the norm within two to five years, we advocate that firms that wishto differentiate themselves from their competitors will have to turn to marketing ethics in order to gain and keepconsumers. Short-term thinking will push firms towards ever shorter campaigns and advertising plans, pushing companiestowards an unethical stance. This danger can be averted by firms adopting a proactive ethical attitude towards consumerswithin their e-marketing strategies. In order to adopt such a proactive stance, companies need to develop a model ofethical interactivity with consumers. The model of ethical interactivity that is introduced and discussed in the paperdevelops seven types of practice (notice, choice, access, contact, security, horizon, and intrusiveness). Correctinterpretation of these practices leads to empowered consumers creating greater benefits for the firm and for theconsumers themselves.

Source : www.amsreview.org