Digital marketing is a fast-paced, rapidly changing field that’s always looking ahead to the next campaign. In such an environment, brands are so laser-focused on reaching audiences that it’s easy to neglect the ethical implications of their campaigns. Thankfully, marketers are starting to realize that ethically centered campaigns don’t just avoid controversy; they attract and retain valuable customers. By offering value-based messaging that reflects brand actions, businesses have an opportunity to gain the respect and loyalty of highly engaged audiences.
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From Sunday to Saturday, brands are continually engaging with the public. Consumers, fans, and critics can always access branded messaging, especially on social media. Mintel recently identified this visibility as a major consumer trend that carries an inherent risk. “It’s crucial for companies and brands to have social media strategies in place and to train employees about company morals and etiquette, so that when (not if) they are faced with a sensitive issue, they know how to handle it in a timely way,” Mintel’s report reads.
Brands that fail to acknowledge their visibility can face dire consequences during a PR disaster. One report found that 56% of Americans won’t purchase from brands they perceive to be unethical. Another found that 42% of Americans will stop doing business with companies in response to their stance on social issues. The latter study also noted that 64% of respondents make purchasing decisions based on a brand’s ethical values and authenticity.
In short: Consumers care about your company values. Brands and individuals that do not appeal to consumer values – or are perceived to lack these values – tend to suffer in the long term. So how can brand marketing reflect ethical values?
Brand Marketing and Ethical Values
Compelling ethical marketing starts with a strong brand ethos. An ethos doesn’t have to encourage some moral behavior explicitly, but it does need to highlight some ethical value. One famous example is the Dawn soap campaign that depicted animals from oil spills as they are cleaned and returned to nature, but not every product is suited to that kind of stance. Other brands take a more unorthodox approach: Banks are often treated with skepticism by customers but can treat AI development as a value by funding ethical research.
Brand leadership must take the lead by establishing an ethos that can positively influence their bottom line. No matter what industry the company represents, it’s possible to develop a compelling ethos by understanding the values customers expect the brand to stand for and building a brand strategy around it.
Even makeup companies can find ways to capitalize on a value-based ethos. The brand Lush famously rejected ethical messaging and labelling while quietly promoting principles like transparency and sustainability. “It has never crossed our minds to call ourselves an ethical business, and when others started calling us that our instant response was to resist the tag,” Lush Ethical Director Hilary Jones told TMW. “We don’t regard being ‘ethical’ as a fixed peak that one can climb and stick your flag into — instead, we see it as a lifelong journey of constant striving.”
It’s worth mentioning that while Lush isn’t an “ethical business,” it still has an Ethical Director who is highly conscious of the brand’s messaging efforts. Such an approach suggests that accounting for optics can impact brand image more than any number of ethical campaigns.
Of course, Lush’s playbook only works when a company emphasizes ethical actions over ethical messaging. Such an approach can be challenging for brands, but the rewards are immense. For example, Nielsen reported that 73% of Millennials are willing to pay more for sustainably-sourced goods. If you run a software service, sustainable ethics might look like carbon offsets for server farms. For subscription boxes, it could be sustainable packaging.
Conclusion
If your brand cannot adopt sustainable practices – perhaps you manage a digital product or service – there are other values to draw from. The simple ethos of transparency can generate attention and respect from consumers. Many companies have started to grant customers control of personal data to cultivate brand loyalty. Transparent principles can also include avoiding deceptive advertising and making product information readily available to consumers.
When marketed effectively, ethical values can help a company retain customers, drive repeat purchases, and prevent egregious PR disasters. It’s worth remembering, however, that marketing is half the battle. Ethical messaging must also be reflected across day-to-day brand behaviors to be considered transparent and genuine. Living up an ethos isn’t always easy, but when it’s managed transparently, your ethical values can eventually translate into brand value for the entire organization.