Summary
Contents
Marketing ethics is the systematic study of how moral standards are applied to marketing decisions, behaviors, and institutions. This guide to marketing ethics provides all the key terms and concepts in a short, easy-to-use format, with each entry written by a scholar from the field of business or marketing ethics. This essential companion can be used in a number of marketing courses and will be a valuable reference for practitioners.
Deceptive Advertising
Deceptive Advertising
As it is used by regulators, the courts, and social scientists, deceptive advertising is a technical, legal term: A deceptive advertisement is one that involves a representation, omission, or practice likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. To be regulable under the law, however, a further condition must be met: The deception must be “material,” which is to say that it must be likely to detrimentally affect the consumer's purchasing decisions. While injurious effects on consumers account for much of what is objectionable about deceptive advertising from a moral and ethical point of view, deceptive advertising also harms competitors and generally weakens trust in the marketplace.
The above legal definition agrees with the one operative in European Union (EU) countries in essential respects, although ...