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Chapter 3
Brand Communication and Society
CHAPTER CONTENT
CHAPTER KEY POINTS
1. What is the social impact of brand communication?
2. What ethical and social responsibilities do communicators have?
3. Why and how is advertising regulated?
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
This chapter explores the impact of brand communication on society. Ongoing debates
concerning the impact of brand communication on society are presented. Also, a
checklist of issues that can have a negative impact on a brand is provided, if that brand’s
communication is disrespectful of the audience or is misaligned with the desired brand
image. Next the brand communicators’ ethical responsibilities are explored. The chapter
closes with an examination of the legal aspects of advertising and the regulatory
processes that are in place to ensure that harmful communication is minimized.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
WHAT IS THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF BRAND COMMUNICATION?
Brands take on meaning when consumers see that all areas of marketing
communication about the brand are consistent and authentic. Communicators want
the recipients of their messages to feel positive about the brand but not at expense of
doing what is right both ethically and legally.
Most of the time, advertising is used for neutral or good purposes, meaning they value
a brand’s social responsibility. Brand stewards work hard to protect the integrity of
their brands and make sure the communication about the brand is consistent. A
problem can occur with brand consistency when there are ethical questions about
practices that undercut the brand.
What Are the Key Debates about Impact on Society?
Three topics generate debate about advertising and marketing communication’s role in
society. They focus on demand creation, shaping versus mirroring of social trends, and
materialism.
Can Advertising Create Demand?
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Some critics charge that advertising causes demand creation, which results when an
external message drives people to feel a need or want – sometimes unnecessarily. Others
reject this notion.
If people do not want the products being marketed, they do not buy them.
Advertising may convince a person to buy a product once. If they don’t like it,
they won’t buy it again. Therefore, advertising does create demand, but to a
limited extent.
Does Advertising Mirror Social Values or Shape Them?
At what point does advertising cross the line between reflecting social values to
creating them? Critics argue that advertising has repeatedly crossed this line,
influencing vulnerable groups such as children and teenagers too strongly.
Critics of advertising argue that advertising can create social trends and has the
power to dictate how people think and act. Others contend that effective brand
communication spots trends and develops messages that connect target audiences
with the trends.
The shaping-versus-mirroring debate is the most central issue we address in
considering advertising’s role in society. Because advertising and society’s roles
are probably interactive, the answer to this debate may simply be that advertising
both mirrors and shapes values.
Does Advertising Cause People to Be Too Materialistic?
Some argue that advertising heightens expectations and primes the audience to
believe that the answer is always a product. Consumers, however, are not always
passively doing what advertisers tell them. They have the power to refuse to buy
what is being sold.
Should Some Audiences Be Protected from Advertising?
Marketing to youth is one of the most controversial topics in the industry. One
reason why advertising to children attracts so much attention is that children are
seen as vulnerable. Children do not always know what is got for them and what is
not.
Principle: If people do not want the products being marketed, they do not buy
them.
What are the Key Debates and Issues about Brand Communication Practices?
Diversity and Stereotypes
A stereotype is a representation of a cultural group that emphasizes a trait or
group of traits that may or may not communicate an accurate representation of the
group. Sometimes the stereotype is useful and aids communication by using easily
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understood symbolic meaning. But when stereotypes rely upon on a characteristic
that is negative and exaggerated, an entire group is reduced to a caricature.
Stereotyping also raises the shape-versus-mirror question discussed earlier in the
chapter. Intentionally or not, communicators choose how they portray people in
their ads. The Inside Story featured in this chapter by Sonia Scappaticci offers a
good example of Pepsi’s efforts to create culturally relevant programs to reach its
Hispanic market.
Cultural Differences in Global Advertising
In the global economy, advertisers seek worldwide audiences for their products.
As they do so, they sometimes make the mistake of overlaying their world view
on that of another culture without thinking about the impact of their advertising.
Concerns about the homogenization of cultural differences are expressed as
marketing imperialism or cultural imperialism.These terms used to describe
what happens when Western culture is imposed on others, particularly the Middle
Eastern, Asian, and African cultures. Respect for culture and local customs is so
important that insensitivity to local customs can make an ad completely
ineffective.
Sex Appeal and Body Image
Advertising that portrays either gender as sex objects is considered demeaning
and sexist, particular if sex is not relevant to the product. The ethical question is
how sexy is too sexy?Sometimes ads use sex appeal that is relevant to the
product, such as Victoria’s Secret. Explicitly using sex appeal to sell may not
always be appropriate.
Playing on consumers’ insecurities about their appearance presents advertisers
with a classic ethical dilemma because self-image advertising can be seen as
contributing to self-improvement. However, sometimes such advertising is
questionable because it leads to dangerous practices.
The same problem of physical appearance exists for men. The standard of
attractiveness is a socio-cultural phenomenon that both mirrors and shapes our
ideals. Responsible advertisers, therefore, have begun using models of more
normal size and weight as a way to reduce the pressure on young people.
Poor Taste and Offensive Advertising
Although certain ads might be in bad taste in any circumstance, viewer reactions
are affected by factors such as sensitivity to the product category, timing, and
other circumstances, such as whether the person is alone or with others when
viewing the message.
Also, questionable ads become offensive in the wrong context. Advertisers and
media outlets must try to be sensitive to such objections.
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We all have our own ideas about what constitutes good taste. Unfortunately, these
ideas vary so much that creating general guidelines for good taste in advertising is
difficult. Different things offend different people at different time and tastes
change over time. Today’s questions of taste center on the use of sexual innuendo,
nudity, vulgarity, and violence.
An ad can be offensive to the general public, even if the targeted audience accepts
it. Brand communicators would be wise to conduct research to gauge the
standards of taste of the general population as well as of a specific target
audience. If they fail to do so, they risk alienating potential consumers.
Principle: Good taste is a difficult standard to apply because different things
offend different people at different times.
Is Advertising Honest and Transparent?
Most advertisers try to create messages that communicate fairly and accurately.
Advertising claims are considered to be unethical if they are false, misleading, or
deceptive. In a drive to find something to say about a product that will catch attention and
motivate the audience to respond, advertisers sometimes stretch the truth. False
advertising, which is a type of misleading advertising, is a message that is simply untrue.
Misleading claims and puffery.The target that receives the greatest amount of
criticism for being misleading is weight-loss advertising, as well as other
back-of-the-magazine, self-improvement advertisements for health and fitness
products. Misleading claims are also a problem outside of the United States.
Not all exaggerated claims are considered misleading. Pufferyis defined as
advertising or other sales representations that praise the item to be sold with
subjective opinions, superlatives, or exaggerations in a vague and general way,
while stating no specific facts. In this chapter’s Principled Practice feature, read
about Ivan Preston, who has dedicated his professional life to the study of puffery
and misleading claims.
Comparative advertising. Although it is perfectly legitimate to compare a
marketer’s product favorably against a competitor, regulations govern the use of
comparative advertising. Advertisers face the common threat that competitors will
misrepresent their products. Comparative advertising that is misleading can be
challenged.
Advertisers have legal recourse to object to unfair comparisons. U.S. law permits
award of damages from an advertiser who “misrepresents the nature,
characteristics, qualities or geographic origin in comparative advertising.” Those
who engage in comparative advertising know that research in support of their
competitive claims must be impeccable.
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Under the law, companies/plaintiffs are required to prove five elements to win the
false advertising lawsuit about an ad containing a comparative claim. They must
prove that:
1. False statements have been made about either product.
2. The ads actually deceived or had the tendency to deceive a substantial
segment of the audience.
3. The deception was “material” or meaningful.
4. Falsely advertised goods are sold in interstate commerce.
5. The suing company has been or likely will be injured as a result of the
false statements, either by loss of sales or loss of goodwill.
Principle:Advertising claims are unethical if they are false, misleading, or
deceptive.
Endorsements and Demonstrations
An endorsement or testimonial is any advertising message that consumers
believe reflects the opinions, beliefs, or experiences of an individual, group, or
institution. However, if consumers can reasonably ascertain that a message does
not reflect the announcer’s opinion, the message isn’t an endorsement and may
even be misleading.
The increasing prominence of digital media raises another ethical dilemma. Is it
acceptable for company representatives to pose as consumers or pay bloggers to
post endorsements as customer reviews online? The Word of Mouth Association
says no. Its ethics code explicitly prohibits consumers from taking cash from
manufacturers, suppliers, or their representatives for making recommendations,
reviews or endorsements. We’ll probably see lots more examples of blogola, also
referred to as flogging (sponsored conversations) in the future.
Federal regulations require that endorsers must be qualified by experience or
training to make judgments, and they must actually use the product. If endorsers
are comparing competing brands, they must have tried those brands as well.
Those who endorse a product improperly may be liable if the government
determines there is a deception.
Product demonstrations in television advertising must not mislead consumers.
One technique some advertisers use to sidestep restrictions on demonstrations is
to insert disclaimers, or “supers,” verbal or written words in the ad that indicate
exceptions to the advertising claim.
What Are Some Product Specific Issues Related to Social Responsibility?
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Marketers need to consider carefully what they choose to produce and advertise.
Some key areas of concern include controversial products, unhealthy or
dangerous products such as alcohol and tobacco, and prescription drugs.
Controversial products
Marketing communication reflects the marketing and business ethics of its clients
and, because of its visibility, sometimes gets the blame for selling controversial,
unsafe, or dangerous products. In cases where the agency works on a
controversial account, there are still ethical ways to approach the business.
Unhealthy or dangerous products
One way to make ethical decisions is to choose the route that minimizes potential
harm. For example, McDonalds and Wendy’s have reacted to charges of
culpability in the nation’s obesity problem by making changes in their menu
items.
One of the most heated advertising issues in recent years has been restrictions on
tobacco advertising. Proponents of the ban on cigarette advertising argue that
because cigarettes have been shown to cause cancer as well as other illnesses,
encouraging tobacco use promotes sickness, injury, or death for the smoker and
those inhaling secondhand smoke. They argue that further restricting the
advertisement of those products would result in fewer sales and fewer health
problems for America as a whole.
Opponents of advertising bans counter with the argument that prohibiting truthful,
nondeceptive advertising for a legal product is unconstitutional and a violation of
free speech rights. In recognition of the growing public concerns about cigarette
marketing, tobacco companies have voluntarily curbed their advertising and
pulled ads from magazines with high levels of youth readership and from most
outdoor billboards.
The ethics of advertising liquor is another concern. The biggest issue for the
spirits industry is charges of advertising to underage drinkers. Liquor executives
contend that they follow voluntary advertising guidelines to avoid images and
time slots that appeal to kids. That stance has been hard to keep, however, because
every major brand is trying to win over young consumers.
The Distilled Spirits Council, a trade organization representing producers and
marketers of distilled spirits sold in the United States, offers a model for industry
self-regulation. Its Code of Responsible Practices encourages members to follow
the guidelines set forth in the code when promoting their products.
The beer industry has been the target of strong criticism for several years. Some
companies sensitive to public opinion have initiated proactive programs that
educate and discourage underage drinkers.
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Principle: The ethics of selling a controversial or unsafe product lies with the
marketing department. However, marketing communication may be criticized
because it is the visible face of marketing.
Prescription Drugs
In 1997, the government loosened its controls on pharmaceutical advertising. As a
result, the amount of prescription drug advertising has skyrocketed. While these
ads have been very successful in increasing sales, various consumer groups,
government agencies, and insurance companies have been quite critical of them.
Some doctors claim they are being pressured to write inappropriate prescriptions
because their patients are influenced by the drug ad claims. Other doctors
appreciate that the advertising has caused consumers to become more active in
managing their own health and more informed about their drug options.
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