Ethical Issues in Advertising refers to the distorted and exaggerated facts that can wrongly influence the customers. Ethical Issues in Advertising occur when the advertisers in collusion with the organization set aside the pre-defined ethical principles and think about only sales figures and profit margins. Forms of Unethical Advertising Exaggeration Exaggeration of truth is a common tendency in advertising regarding the advantages and use of products and services. The claims are unverified and hyped and the customers believe that they are getting quality products. Example - Axe Pressure Tactics Pressure tactics include misleading and pressurizing consumers to buy a product and using fear tactics as well as undue pressure so that the customer will have to decide on the spot. Misrepresentation Misrepresentation of facts by providing deceptive information is a common unethical practice by the advertiser. False Statistics False statistics refer to the u.se of misleading and fake information to inform the customer that their product is the best. Poor Taste Some ads are in poor taste as they take the help of obscenity and vulgarity to put across their point and influence the customers. Women are often projected as sex objects in these ads. Example – Axe Deodorant Complete Lies Few advertisers try to fool the customers by lying to their face about product use, information, benefits, quality, and incentives Example - Nivea Unhealthy Brand Comparisons Unhealthy brand comparisons and bad-mouthing the products of rival brands is a common concept so that the customers can shift allegiance to their brand. Example – DHL Surrogate advertising Surrogate advertising is used for products that are banned and cannot be marketed directly like liquor in India. Example - Bacardi Example – Unethical Advertising 1. Dannon Activia Yogurt 2. Red Bull 3. Kellogg Rice Krispies 4. Hyundai Importance of Truth in Advertising - Offers long-term benefits - Builds goodwill - Gains competitive advantage - Increases consumer loyalty - Boosts brand image This video is on Ethical Issues in Advertising and it has the following sub-topics. Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 00:32 Forms of Unethical Advertising 00:37 Exaggeration 00:54 Pressure Tactics 01:01 Misrepresentation 01:07 False Statistics 01:13 Poor Taste 01:25 Complete Lies 02:03 Unhealthy Brand Comparisons 02:38 Surrogate advertising 02:50 Example – Unethical Advertising 02:52 Example – Dannon Activia Yogurt 03:08 Example - Red Bull 03:29 Example - Kellogg Rice Krispies 04:10 Example - Hyundai 04:34 Importance of Truth in Advertising