Assignment

On
Unethical Practices of Advertising

Submitted to:
Tawfeeq Hasan
Lecturer
School of Business Studies
Southeast University

Course Details:
1
 Course Name: Business Ethics
Course Code: BUS3124
Section: 2

Submitted by:

Name: Md Shahnewaz
Id: 2016110000002
Batch: 43rd

Name :Tanvir Islam Munna

Id: 2016110000118
Batch 43rd

Name: Jahidul Haque

Id 2016010000341
Batch:

Date of Submission: 11-Sept-2018

2
 Table of content

Sl. No Name of Content Page NO.

1 Introduction 4
2 Objectives of the Study 5
3 Methodology of the Study 5
4 Ethics 5
5 Business Ethics 6
6 Advertising 6
7 Ethical Advertising 7
8 Unethical Advertising 8
9 Ad story of Fair & Lovely 9
10 Unethical side of this ad by Fair & Lovely 10
 1.Introduction
Advertising is such an interesting field in the marketing industry. However, the
advertising should be an effective attraction and creative to attract the customer.
The development of the advertising industry has been increasing year by year to
provide the latest information about the product. Advertising is not only promoting
the product but it is also can promote the services, entertainment, found and lost,
land and more. Advertising can be channeled through media such as the internet,
radio, television, pamphlets, banners, billboards, newspapers, magazine and so on
according to the creativity of an advertising agency. However, at present, the
fastest media attention, feedback, and the concern of many people is through the
internet. Recently, the advertisers did not pay attention and awareness on their way
of distributing messages to the people. As we learn that, advertising can bring
positive and negative impact, according to its words. Advertising is considered
unethical when it degrades rival’s product or substitute product, gives misguiding
information, gives false information, concise information that vitally affects human
life (e. g., side effects of drugs), makes exaggerated claims, is obscene or immoral
or is against broad national interest (Singh and Vij, 2007). Maximum organization
and advertising agency in Bangladesh have deceived their customer by making
their advertising copy false, confusing and over colored. That’s why customized,
consumer side, social and other competitive institution also damaged. Because of
giving confusing information in different advertising copy, customer’s attitude is
adverse about those institutions. Advertisers, by giving false information and by
trying fraudulent affect the consumer, violate the efficient functioning of the
market. They are reducing rivals opportunities to reach consumers. Advertising
copy is very important part of advertising. Copy is a sound or message which used
in advertising. The main objective of advertising copy is encouraging customers to
buy the product. Advertising copy must be ethical. Advertising copy should be
right and correct, not deceived or unethical. But the use of unethical advertising is
increasing in Bangladesh after 2000 year.

Few marketer and advertiser of Bangladesh don’t follow the ethical standard
properly. For this reason customer are deceived. It is the high time to make the
people aware of those unethical advertising. So it is crying need to conduct studies
in this regard and to disclose the real fact.
 2. Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is to make the customer awareness regarding the
unethical practices of advertising. Others specific objectives of the study are stated
below:

 To know the present status of advertising in Bangladesh.

 To increase the awareness about advertising message and contents for saving
the respective consumers from the deceive advertising.

 To develop and explore some probable solutions and recommendations of

unethical advertising Practices in Bangladesh.

3. Methodology of the Study

This study has been conducted to find out the unethical practices of the advertising
in the perspective of Bangladesh. The nature of the study is basically descriptive
based on quantitative information. Descriptive study requires a direct interview,
observation and massive exploration of secondary sources. Both primary and
secondary data were gathered in this study. Theoretical part of the study
significantly used secondary sources such as review of scholarly journals and
reading materials while the quantitative findings and interpretations are depending
on primary data.

4. Ethics
Ethics(also moral philosophy) is the branch of philosophy that involves
systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct.
Ethic means moral principles and values that govern the actions and decision of an
individual or group (Belch & Belch, 2009).
 5. Business Ethics
Business ethics (also corporate ethics) are a form of applied ethics or professional
ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a
business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant
to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations (Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, 2013). Business ethics are moral principles that guide the way a
business behaves.

Some years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumahart (1968) asked business people,
"What do ethics means?"

1. Ethics has to do with what many felling tell me, right or wrong.

2. Ethics has to do with my religious benefits.

3. Being ethical is doing what the law requires.

4. Ethics consists of the standard behavior of our society accepts.

So that it can be said that, Business ethics are ethics that refers to the moral rules
and regulations governing the business world.

6. Advertising
Any paid form of no personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or
services by an identified sponsor (Kotler, 2009).

Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience

(viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products,
ideas, or services.

Advertising can also serve to communicate an idea to a large number of people in

an attempt to convince them to take a certain action.
 7. Ethical Advertising:
If the quality and characteristics of any product present in advertising copy which
are included in that product is called ethical advertising copy that means it will
provide the right all information about products (Kabir, 2013).

The right, correct and faithful information must be provided with advertising copy.
Such as-

1. Never use a simple untrue advertising message.

2. Principles of the moral order must be applied to the domain of advertising

media.

3. Never directly intend to deceive

4. Never use the sexual appeals.

5. Means and techniques of advertising copy must also consider; manipulative,

exploitative, corrupt and corrupting methods of persuasion and motivation.

6. Do not distort the truth by implying things that are not so or withholding
relevant facts.

7. It should not be presented any over colored information in advertising copy.

8. Presenting any confusing information should be avoided.

9. The right information must be given in the advertisement copy about the quality
and characteristic of the product.

10. It should be provided clear, informative and right information about products.
So that customers can take the right decision.

11. It confirms the consumer’s right.

 8. Unethical Advertising:
The Unethical advertising copy is one kind of advertising where it ignores the
moral values.

If excess, wrong and confusing information have provided in advertising copy

about products then it is called unethical advertising copy (Kabir, 2013). That
means when a company provides attractive and wrong information in their
advertising copy to influence to customer buying that product and it wants to earn
more profit by selling a huge number of products in short time and deceives
customers by those advertising copy, then it is called unethical advertising copy.
For which reasons an advertising copy is said unethical that are given below
(Kotler & Armstrong, 2010).

1. Providing wrong information about product in advertising copy.

2. Providing untruthful word or information.

3. Saying over colored about the quality and characteristic of products.

4. Deceiving customers.

5. Snatching customer’s right.

 9. Fair & Lovely:

Story of an ad by Fair & Lovely:

An old man who was working on the set of shooting as a make-up artist. In that
time, he made a little fault. That’s why he was insulted by the actress. She told
something like that, “Give up this job, go home try it on your family member” In
that time his daughter was coming here to give his father lunch and she heard that
what was that actress saying. That’s she felt angry and went away to her home
after giving that lunch box. When her father come back to home after completing
his task his daughter told her to try it on her and make her as a star. But her father
didn’t do that. He gave an idea to her daughter to use Fair & Lovely. Because in
his view Fair & Lovely is best for lifetime glamours. Then his daughter started
using Fair & Lovely.

After few days of using Fair & Lovely she makes herself as a star and even she got
an award for her beauty.

N.B: That video ad will be added to presentation slide.

10. Unethical side of this ad by Fair & Lovely :

 It is impossible to change dark skin color to white with the use of a

fairness cream.

 Participants of the study also revealed that continuous use of the fairness
cream made their face skin look fresh, but not white.

 They make people to believe that the use of the creams could cause skin
problems such as itchiness, rashes, dryness, pimples, hardness and
darkness of the face skin.

 Common skin whitening chemicals are linked with negative side effects
to the face skin. Skin whitening creams cannot be useful without the use
of skin bleaching chemicals such as steroids, mercury salts,
hydroquinone and other skin damaging chemicals

 By broadcasting these types of wrong information, they snatch the rights

of the customer and break the rules or principles of advertising copy that
create excitement in society.
Recommendations
The review of existing literature, findings and suggestion made by the experts or
respondents helped the researchers to find out ways and means of improving
unethical advertising in Bangladesh. Ethical behavior within the business sector is
very important; the mere earning of profit should not be the sole driving activity of
an organization. If management establishes fair, proper rules and regulations,
including an equitable reward and punitive system for personnel on the basis of
their competence, ethical standards, discourage corruption and bribery, then ethics
in the business process can be improved. At the time of conducting marketing
activities and advertising activities, every company should follow the business
ethics values, marketing philosophy and societal marketing philosophy. They need
to work for the betterment of society and the long run managing community
interest. They should be provided the perfect information on advertising of copy to
the customer that can increase the credibility of general people. The Marketer
should try to gain the morality and credibility besides gaining the profit. They
should help to establish the consumer’s right in Bangladesh. All advertising must
be free, fair and credible towards the target audience. The ethical and truthful
advertising is the key to ensure relationship and sustainable marketing. It also
ensures social safety and security. That helps to build up a better marketing
environment which is good both for sellers and buyers groups. Other
recommendations to improve ethical standards and norms in the business sector
follow:

1. The Bangladesh Government has undertaken a number of reforms with the

intent of monitoring, controlling and diminishing the prevalence of corruption and
unethical practice in advertising and society at large.

2.  Companies must have to maintain the social responsibility and should follow
the rules and related laws of advertising in Bangladesh.

3. Bangladesh Government should establish a self-regulatory voluntary

organization of the advertising industry ‘Advertising Standards Council of
Bangladesh (ASCB). Their objective will be that all advertising material must be
truthful, legal and honest, decent and not objectify women, safe for consumers,
especially children and last but not the least, fair to their competitors.

4. Advertising agency and advertiser should avoid the confusion and false
information about products, services even that are profitable for short terms.
5. Company should consider the customers right and to do work accordingly.

6. Develop the right principles of advertising and try to maintain it and if broken
any one than arrange penalty immediately.

7. To implant fair business practices towards consumers by informing advertisers

and advertisement producers about their duties and responsibilities to consumers.

8. Moral education should be emphasized, particularly, innovative practices aimed

at promoting a high standard of morals and ethics in business. Training institutes
should be encouraged to arrange training courses, workshops and conferences on
business ethics.

9. To increase publicity in relation to contradict the misleading statements in the

media.

10. More awareness is to be created and the board has to function effectively and
ban all advertisements which do not follow the ethics.

11. Socially and economically boycott or reject all types of misleading, false,

irritating and untruthful advertising.

12. Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) should monitor strictly

about the misleading advertising which is circulated in Bangladesh.

13. Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) should measure the effectiveness

of all advertising weekly or monthly and take necessary action against the
unethical practices.

14. Codes of ethics should be developed and utilized to motivate personnel,

increase their capability, judgment power, and effective managerial skill. Personnel
subject to professional and ethical codes of conduct of their respective organization
should be encouraged to adhere to those codes.

15. Media and public financial organization should be careful to prevent unethical

advertising and be active to circulate all fair advertising.

By maintaining the above mentioned recommendations and suggestions the

marketers should broadcast or telecast their advertisement. Then the country,
society, nation and entire world will be benefited. It may help to increase the good
will of the company by developing positive, harmony, perfection and ethical
advertising.
Conclusion:
It is clear that unethical practices in advertising may often occur in the most areas
in Bangladesh. One lesson that we should understand is that most companies seem
to be engaged in unethical practices and can therefore misleading the consumer.
Many firms even they are assigned to behave ethically, but their practices show
irregularities and frauds. According to this, the unethical advertising practices
occurrence characteristics in modern society are: the criteria’s of justice, integrity,
honesty and the eligibility, non-compliance, the creation of a false impression, the
presentation of false and inaccurate facts, the conversion of social values of
products, the manipulation of impulsive consumers, the control of sub
consciousness, the impact on persons economic behavior or possibility of the
impact. Advertising copy is the most important part of any advertising. So every
company or advertising agency should provide correct information to their
customers by advertising copy. Advertising copy must be ethical and credible.
Informative, correct, creative and beautiful advertising makes a good effect on the
economy of the country. The marketer should try to gain the morality and
credibility besides gaining the profit. We hope that every company will respect all
the advertising rules & regulation and maintain or honor consumer right’s. They
can gain profit by giving the informative, correct, credible information to consumer
and developed the society with morality.