Advertisements: A Scam or a Good Deal?

Julia Batoki

jb478621@ohio.edu

The Minutiae of Marketing

Marketing and advertisements surround us constantly. In the current environments of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, the ads and pop-ups seem to be endless. And most of the time, these ads are almost completely ignored or scrolled past since they are so prevalent. They can seem like a ploy, a scam, or a rip-off. Surprisingly enough, these marketers, public relation professionals, and advertising companies all follow a detailed code of ethics. 

The Code of Ethics

The ethical codes for the PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) and the IAE (Institute for Advertising Ethics) are stated clearly and precisely. They both place a high emphasis on honesty and transparency, both with their advertisements and their customers. Furthermore, these codes explicitly state the importance of their loyalty and honesty towards their employees. The products and services that they advertise for follow these codes, and therefore information about them is fully disclosed to the customer. 

Reputable? Or A Scheme?

In a personal opinion, the codes that companies and marketers follow are highly regulated and very thorough. They encompass the information shared to the consumer, regard honestly as a value, and accept responsibility of their actions and products and hold respect in high esteem. Both the PRSA and IAE implement these regulations in order to ensure and encourage their customers. These ethical codes allow the people that are buying their goods or services to have trust in what they are receiving. 

Photo Source: Entrepreneurship in a Box

Do They Work?

Does committing to a code of ethics work for advertising marketers and public relation professionals? I believe that the vast majority of advertisements do indeed express disclosure, honesty, and information regarding their product. However, there are still scammers and people selling their products online or on social media that can not be trusted. When searching through advertisements and messages designed to entice a customer, the consumer should always do thorough research and be sure that the company selling the advertised product has committed to a code of ethics, and is a reputable source.

The Code of Ethics: Are They Being Followed?

According to the Management Study Guide, usually, big companies hardly lie on their advertisements, however, they can be extremely exaggerated. They use false food and faked products to make them look as if they are beautiful and high quality. It is in this blogger's personal opinion that most of the time, the codes of ethics are being followed. However, due to loopholes, exaggeration, and ad companies not committing themselves to a specific code of ethics, skepticism will not disappear within society's population. 

Photo Source: LocalCircles