Blurred Lines: Ethical Advertising

Liza Schumacher

Ls605210@ohio.edu

 

Ethics Codes & Guidelines

When it comes to the professional world of public relations and advertising I think it is especially important that there is a code of conduct that should be followed. The ethics codes written by the AAF and PRSA set a standard for the values that should be upheld within the industry. 

The PRSA ethics code is based on values like advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, fairness, and includes provisions of conduct. However, it is noted within the PRSA code website that enforcement of the code has been eliminated, with the caveat that the board can bar membership. 

The AAF ethics code highlights nine principles and practices for advertising. The AAF ethics code highlights the need for transparency multiple times, and that all forms of communication should do right by the consumer. 

Does it work? 

Sometimes. Just like with anything in life there are people who follow the rules, people who break the rules, people who bend the rules, and people who cut corners. When it comes to companies, organizations, and even government entities, there are some who strictly follow the rules and some who don't. One of the places I've observed these differences is within social media. 

It can be quite obvious when a celebrity pivots from posting their normal content, to posting a not-so-causal selfie with a product featuring a seemingly scripted caption. For example, when I saw this Instagram picture of Khloe Kardashian with a bottle of water and a caption listing all of its benefits, I knew the post wasn't organic. As I read the caption I thought to myself "I wonder how much money she is getting for this post?"

 

Picture source: Khloe Kardashian's Instagram

This picture, post, nor caption mentioned that was an advertisement of any kind, or if there were any material compensations. If there were any type of payments or free products given for this post than it would be in violation of one of AAF's principle. Principle four states that "Advertisers should clearly disclose all material conditions, such as payment or receipt of a free product, affecting endorsements in social and traditional channels as well as the identity of endorsers, all in the interest of full disclosure and transparency.

In contrast, I found a post on Instagram from another celebrity, Lala Anthony, that clearly disclosed the fact that it was an AD for Bailey's.  

Picture source: Lala's Instagram

 

This Instagram post states that it is a paid partnership at the top of the picture, and includes the hashtag "#Ad" at the beginning of the caption. I think that this is a good example of transparency when it comes to advertising on social media. There is no question whether or not this was an endorsed photo. According to an article on smallbusiness.chron.com celebrity endorsements can significantly increase sales, and even cause the values of stocks to rise.

Product Placement

These examples made me question whether product placement in movies and TV shows is ethical? There are times when product placement is blatantly obvious, and times when I may not even notice unless I was looking for it. It comes down to the values behind the advertising. Some product placements seem deceiving, which would go against PRSA's code of ethics. For example, every season American Idol has blatant product placement in front of the judges, yet I never see anything during the show that explicitly states the sponsorship or endorsement. 

Picture source: Productplacementblog.com

I think that this example of Lipton Iced Tea cups in American Idol could be used as an example of how advertisers don't always follow the ethical guidelines created. To me this seems like a blatant advertisement from Lipton. To some this may just seem like creative marketing tactics. An article for Business Ethics: A European Review states that "marketers might find it indeed acceptable to live in a world where product placement plays a greater role than before." It also states, however, that within product placement it is doubtful that advertisers can conduct themselves in a way that honors to value to consumers as people rather than a means at higher sales. 

At the end of the day I think that ethics codes and guidelines are extremely important in our ever evolving world of technology. I believe that the codes are written and created to be followed, and has the best interest of the consumers in mind. However, I do not believe that all people, companies, and organizations have the consumers best interest in mind. Considering that ethics codes are not enforced, it leads to blurred lines between what is ethical versus unethical.