Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is considered, in some quarters, as the backbone of any business enterprise. It is campaign that provides critical information to consumers about products and services in the market and how they can improve their quality of life. It combines and coordinates all aspects of marketing ranging from advertising, sales, promotions, personal marketing, and public relations, among others (Ogechukwu et al., 2011). However, critics of Integrated marketing communication argue that it is a tool used by companies to often distort information using unethical practices so as to increase sales and profits.
Anybody who is new in the marketing field needs to have a grasp of the best practices in an integrated marketing campaign. The most important best practice in IMC is integrity. It entails the attribute of being honest by avoiding the temptation of deceiving others when it is expedient to do so. For example, it is not morally right for a marketer who is advertising an alcoholic drink to deceive consumers that taking such a drink makes an individual to become stronger and alert. In this case, the marketer is trying to influence the consumer to consume the drink using deception. It is a well-known scientific fact that alcohol reduces an individual’s mental judgment and certainly does not make him or her any stronger. The message provided by the marketer has the effect of influencing a consumer to use a product which can be unsafe or one that the consumer does not need.
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Consequences of Flouting Ethical Practices
Marketers who fail the integrity test by misrepresenting facts concerning the goods and services that they are advertising can compromise the health and welfare of consumers. This can lead to serious ramifications including the possibility of court cases and loss of reputation for the product and company which they represent. A case in point is one that involved a Nigerian pharmaceutical company known as Phizer. The company misrepresented the benefits of its drugs in the treatment of certain ailments associated with children. The drug killed many children whose parents were made to believe that the drugs were what their children needed. The company eventually accepted responsibility for the deaths after many years defending itself in courts (Ogechukwu et al, 2011). Apart from paying compensation, the company also lost its credibility in the eyes of consumers.
Reference
Ogechukwu, A., Ndubueze, A. and Uche, A. (2011). Ethical issues involved in integrated marketing communication in Nigeria. Business Management Dynamics, 1, 4, 0.62. http://bmdynamics.com/issue_pdf/bmd201149_50_62.pdf
