Making the Ethical Move in Marketing
There is a disconnect between the things we are taught about business and the way in which most people want to do business.
Whether it’s through formal education or received knowledge, there is an expectation that business - and specifically the business of marketing and sales - is about manipulating and tricking people in doing what you want them to do.
Big brands employ fear tactics to get more people to buy. Our inboxes are full of pressure sales messages from big-name entrepreneurs. We are so used to buying courses for $199 that we don’t even pause to consider why it’s not been rounded up to $200.
It is easy to see why so many business owners follow suit in their own marketing - and then struggle with how that feels to them. Inauthentic. Manipulative. Deceitful.
My friend, if this is you, prepare for four liberating words: There is another way.
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The Ethical Move
When I first came across The Ethical Move a few years ago, I felt relief. Relief that there were people in the marketing industry standing up against the unethical practices that are so mainstream.
Back then, the ethical move had a single pledge, which I signed: to commit to using round numbers rather than charm pricing.
This manipulative tactic relies on the psychological trick of the left-digit effect, where our brains pay more attention to the first digit in a number and attaches value to it. So even if $199 is a single dollar away from $200, in our minds we see the price as $100-odd instead of $200.
When this was revealed to me, I started understanding that how we sell matters.
Today I’m part of the team behind The Ethical Move, where we are committed to having conversations about manipulation in marketing and working towards creating a standard for ethical marketing.
How We Sell Matters
Of course we want to see the end of psychological manipulation in marketing. It is unethical, because it bypasses the conscious choice of the person at whom it’s aimed, and it takes away their agency as a buyer.
But for me, ethical marketing is about more than just not lying to people. Ethical marketing is for our industry - and by that I mean both marketers and business owners - to take responsibility for our contribution to the cycle of consumerism.
Right now, it is up to consumers to research the impact of their purchases and then “vote with their wallet”. Putting the weight of this responsibility solely on the shoulders of consumers is not only unfair, but it also will not bring about the lasting change that is needed for a more equal world.
If we as business owners and marketers start putting the person before the sale, we will stop fuelling the flames of an endless loop of consumerism.
When we recognise vulnerable segments of society and level the playing field, we are creating a more inclusive world.
When we are transparent about supply chains, and when our sustainability actions have impact beyond greenwashing, then we are starting to change the world.
Where to Start with Ethical Marketing
While we are clear on certain tactics being manipulative, it isn’t completely clear cut in every instance. We are currently having lots of conversations around countdown timers, for example.
In the current iteration of our pledge, we talk about how having a ticker on a sales page is problematic, as the countdown creates feelings of anxiety and often a false sense of “buy now or miss out forever”.
However, as we have started to have more conversations about the tactic, we are seeing some instances where countdown timers can be helpful and empowering.
We are in unfamiliar territory. Over the past year, The Ethical Move team has grown organically to the core people we have now. We are constantly talking about the pledge, discussing our impact in the world and unpacking our own understanding and any new information we uncover.
It’s a conversation, and we want it to be a collaborative effort with everyone who shares our beliefs and values.
We know that this movement has the power to change the systems that keep consumers weak and insatiable, and that fuels all types of inequality as well as the destruction of our climate.
We believe our new marketing standard, based on transparency, trust, and honesty, will go some way to create a more level playing field.
There is another way, and it starts with us.
Cover photo by Green Chameleon
