Marketing is purely about informing consumers of the choices they can make to satisfy real needs.

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The concept of marketing can be used to refer to any activity that is aimed at facilitating and fostering transactions between an organization and consumers (Gro¨nroos 2006, p.395). Economists argue that marketing is one of the crucial tools in a business. From a careful review of literature, it is definite that marketing has direct effects on the organization specifically in terms profitability (Brodie 2009, p. 108).

This is due to the fact that it involves informing the customers on the products and services offered in an organization (Klein & Phillips 2011, p. 354). By so doing, marketing helps consumers to make the best choices. Notably, large organizations set aside specific members of staff and departments for marketing purposes.

Therefore, one can analyse that marketing cannot be done in isolation since it is closely linked to human resources, decision making and other organizational operations. Nevertheless, there exists an argument that marketing is not meant to inform customers on choices to make but it is a deceptive practice to mislead them while increasing the sales in an organization (Brodie 2009, p. 108).

Hence, the function and role of marketing has been criticised due to the assumption that it creates incomplete truth and therefore exploiting the weaknesses and inducing fear to customers. This paper critically evaluates the controversy that marketing is purely about informing consumers of the choices they can make to satisfy their actual needs.

Radical scholars argue that marketing aims at manipulating and deceiving customers to buy products and services (Brodie 2009, p. 109). Notably, this is done through adverts that manipulate their thinking and to perceive them that certain goods and services are worthy.

According to Smith (1995, p.396), marketing can be referred as the worst tool of capitalism. This statement can be elaborated by the fact that businessmen use exaggerated terms to promote and advertise their goods, a factor that ensures that their economic systems do not collapse. Research has revealed that most customers get misguided information from marketers only to realize later that the products were not worth the purchase.

According to Klein and Phillips (2011, p. 354), marketers provide unproven information to customers about their lavished products in order to increase the returns and sale output for the organization. Ten (1997, p. 998) complements that most organizations use numerous brand names, image manipulation and visual distortion as baits to attract innocent clients. Moreover, they also use switch and bait offers to lure their customers.

From numerous surveys conducted in different organization, it has been revealed that most of products sold in the market have incomplete descriptions. In this case, personal manipulation is one of the commonest means of marketing products and services. Martinez (2011, p. 25) argues that marketing is not ethical since it is used as a way of coercing customers leaving them with no choice but to go for the products.

For instance, most businesses provide wide range of products branded in different names. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that these products are similar yet they have different prices (Fan 2005, p. 451). Additionally, businessmen make sure that they avail numerous goods and services for customers to ensure that if they decline a certain product they have to go for the other one. In this case, they are able to increase the profitability of their business.

That notwithstanding, marketing has been used to advertise products and services that have been proved to be harmful to consumers (Wong, Tumer & Stoneman 1996, p. 264)). To some extent, it induces bad vices to the targeted audience. For instance, alcoholic products, fast-foods and clubs often have negative effects on the targeted population. In addition, children and youths are the most vulnerable to certain adverts since they develop curiosity to practice some vices such as smoking and taking alcohol.

In most cases, marketing strategies used result to a stereotypic effect on certain groups of people. For instance, advertisements can be used to portray women as sexual objects, emotional and submissive while men can be portrayed as sex predators.

That notwithstanding, most of the marketing research techniques are not genuine (Martinez 2011, p. 24). In most cases, marketing researchers intrude into customers’ privacy and also use sophisticated techniques to manipulate their emotions and knowledge. Moreover, numerous practices used in marketing are not ethical (Brodie 2009, p. 110).

Nevertheless, in as much as some scholars criticize and regard marketing as unethical, it is imperative to note that this tool is a necessary evil. This is due to the fact that marketing aims at creating awareness and disseminates information to public in regards to certain products and services (Gro¨nroos 2006, p.397).

Therefore, it has some value to the customers and the organization. According to Crane (1997, p. 561), marketing brings about a close link between consumers and business organizations. In the absence of marketing, most people fail to recognize the existence and use of certain goods and services (Ten Bos 1997, p.999). However, from a post-modern perspective, it is important to highlight that marketing should apply some ethics in order to bridge the gap between reality and expectations of customers (Brodie 2009, p. 108).

In this case, marketing techniques should be scientifically credible in order to eliminate the identity crisis facing the concept. Besides, marketing should avoid creating consumerism and aim to create complete truth about goods and services. Moreover, unlike certain cases where marketers deliberately have selfish interests, genuine practices have helped customers to get information and make choices on goods and services that will satisfy their needs (Martinez 2011, p. 25).

References

Brodie, R J 2009, “From goods to service branding: An integrative perspective.” Marketing Theory, vol. 9, no 1, pp.107–111.

Crane, A 1997, “The Dynamics of Marketing Ethical Products: A Cultural Perspective.” Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 13 no 6, pp. 561-577.

Fan,Y 2005, “Ethical branding and corporate reputation”. Corporate Communication, vol. 10 no. 4, pp. 341–350.

Gro¨nroos, C 2006, “On defining marketing: Finding a new roadmap For marketing.” Marketing Theory, vol. 6 no. 4, pp.395–417.

Klein, T., & Phillips, J 2011, “Marketing Ethics.” Business Ethics Quarterly, vol. 21 no. 2, pp. 354.

Martinez, J 2011, “.Marketing Marauders or Consumer Counselors?” Customer Relationship Management, vol. 15 no.1, pp. 24-29.

Smith, C 1995, “Marketing Ethics for the Ethics Era,” Sloan Management Review, vol. 36 no. 4, pp. 85-97.

Ten Bos, R 1997, “Business Ethics and Bauman Ethics,” Organization Studies, vol. 18 no.6, pp. 997-1014.

Wong, V., Tumer, W. & Stoneman, P 1996, “Marketing Strategies and Market Prospects for Environmentally-Friendly Consumer Products,” British Journal of Management, vol. 7 no. 3, pp. 263-281.

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Marketing is purely about informing consumers of the choices they can make to satisfy real needs.

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