The Routledge Companion to Business Ethics

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Ethical issues in marketing, advertising, and sales

Minette Drumwright

Marketing. The word is often used derisively even though it describes one of the primary fields of business. Marketing is perhaps the most visible and most criticized aspect of business. Some have argued that criticisms of marketing—especially its most visible component, advertising—are in fact criticisms of capitalism and the market system itself (Phillips 1997). Many sarcastically say “marketing ethics” is an oxymoron, and advertising ethics has been referred to as the “ultimate oxymoron” (Beltramini 2003). Delving into ethical questions is difficult for any profession because it raises complex, debatable, and often uncomfortable issues. However, such an analysis ...