Marketing ethics, ethical consumers, and ethical lapses.

Purpose As indicated in the Italian law (No. 109-1996), agri-food co-operatives can also play a role in combatting mafia-type systems by choosing to grow their food products in lands confiscated from mafia-type organisations. These food products provide individuals with a new opportunity to fight criminal organisations on the marketplace. The purpose of this study is to explore how people react to a social marketing initiative devoted to promoting food “buycotting” to counteract mafia-type organisations in Italy. Design/methodology/approach The data were obtained from a convenience sample of 339 Italians, and the study adopted a model inspired by the general theory of marketing ethics. A structural equation model was applied to estimate both the parameter and coefficient functions. Findings Individuals recognise the ethical value of “buycotting”. However, they perceive this form of critical choice as not yet being fully effective in counteracting mafia-type systems in Italy. Practical implications The results suggest that promotional and psychological approaches from marketing literature can be effectively used to influence the consumer’s ethical judgement by selectively communicating and emphasising the benefits of the critical consumption investigated. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to address consumers’ ethical judgments and their reactions towards buycotting food as a critical choice to reward socially responsible corporations.

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Marketing ethics: a comparison of American and Middle-Eastern marketers

International Business Review ◽

10.1016/s0969-5931(99)00022-0 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 8 (5-6) ◽

pp. 611-632 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Ashraf Attia ◽

Mahesh N Shankarmahesh ◽

Anusorn Singhapakdi

Keyword(s):

Middle Eastern ◽

Marketing Ethics

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Ethical consumers' brand avoidance

Journal of Product & Brand Management ◽

10.1108/jpbm-09-2013-0391 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 114-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Anne Rindell ◽

Tore Strandvik ◽

Kristoffer Wilén

Keyword(s):

Design Methodology ◽

Well Being ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Qualitative Approach ◽

Specific Group ◽

Content Type ◽

Ethical Concerns ◽

Ethical Consumers ◽

Consumer Values ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore ethical consumers' brand avoidance. The study contributes to brand-avoidance research by exploring what role consumers' ethical concerns play in their brand avoidance. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach is adopted by interviewing 15 active members of organizations that represent ethical concerns for the well-being of animals, the environment and humans. Findings – The study indicates that consumers with a strong value-based perspective on consumption (such as ethical consumers) may reject brands in two different but interrelated ways. In essence, the study reveals characteristics of brand avoidance that have not been discussed in earlier research, in terms of two dimensions: persistency (persistent vs temporary) and explicitness (explicit vs latent). Practical implications – The study shows the importance of considering the phenomenon of brand avoidance, as it may reveal fundamental challenges in the market. These challenges may relate to consumer values that have not been regarded as important or that have been thought of as relating only to a specific group of consumers. Originality/value – The ethical consumers' views represent new insights into understanding brand avoidance.

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Analyses of underlying causes on the abnormal marketing ethics of Chinese enterprises

2011 2nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Management Science and Electronic Commerce (AIMSEC) ◽

10.1109/aimsec.2011.6010191 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Wang Chunya

Keyword(s):

Marketing Ethics ◽

Chinese Enterprises ◽

Underlying Causes

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Consumer values in the Brazilian market for ethical cosmetics

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management ◽

10.1108/ijrdm-01-2021-0040 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Paola Graciano ◽

Aline Cafruni Gularte ◽

Fernando Henrique Lermen ◽

Marcia Dutra de Barcellos

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Personal Values ◽

Future Research ◽

Personality Profiles ◽

Homogeneous Sample ◽

Environmental Preservation ◽

Content Type ◽

Avant Garde ◽

Ethical Consumers ◽

Consumer Values

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the personal values of consumers of ethical cosmetics in Brazil, using the resulting personality types to segment consumers for the development of strategies by Brazilian retailers and international players.Design/methodology/approachThis study administered the psychometric Values and Lifestyles Scale (VALS) via an online survey with 302 consumers of ethical cosmetics. First, exploratory factorial analysis was employed to identify the behavior of VALS' factors within the sample. Second, cluster analysis was performed using hierarchical clustering technique in order to link demographic variables and VALS' types to form specific consumer profiles.FindingsThe study found eight VALS types in the sample respondents but with a different configuration than the original factors. They were named, respectively, “Avant-garde”, “Oriented to fashion”, “Artisans”, “Committed to morality and religion”, “Leader of a group”, “Theoretical”, “Ingenious” and “Conservative”. Results indicated a demographically homogeneous sample with personality profiles mostly placed among VALS' original factors “Experiencer”, “Thinker” and “Innovator”.Research limitations/implicationsResults may vary within other cultural contexts and different means of investigation suggesting future research opportunities.Practical implicationsEthical demands concerning health and environmental preservation are no longer neglectable. The study of consumers' personal values can contribute to formulate suitable retail strategies for expected demands of consumers in the ethical cosmetics segment.Originality/valueThese findings are expected to provide resources for decision-makers, academics, practitioners and marketers concerning several points of sensitivity in their relationship with ethical consumers.

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