Digital technology and the rise of big data has spurred ongoing questions about maintaining integrity – in business and marketing. Business leaders are experiencing a new paradigm where everyone must take into consideration important issues, such as privacy, tracking and how we are utilising data for personal use and profit.
Despite the global proliferation of technology, technological literacy among consumers is deteriorating. As a result, there’s an increased need to implement ethical protections that ensure the privacy of consumers. With the evolution of big data and digital marketing, it’s more important than ever to uphold values that align companies with ethical standards.
Ethics encompasses how people react when faced with moral decisions. Transparency, as well as how companies use data and influence their customers, are key components of the standards that promote ethical corporate behaviour. For enterprises, there’s a need for clearly defined ethical policies that align with company values and behaviours and empower staff members to make consistent and exemplary moral decisions.
As is often the case, technology has preceded ahead of ethics. In some instances, this has resulted in marketing initiatives that place the pursuit of profit over consumer interests. Fortunately, industry leaders are hastily recognising the need to protect consumers, as innovative technologies such as big data take the global marketplace by storm.
Social Media Done the Right Way
In addition to providing information to rogue computer users, social media users could reveal information that their employers or agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may view in a less than positive light. Many consumers post on social media, providing detailed information about their lives for all to see. These users often fail to consider who can view and track their personal information.
Netiquette is important for enterprises that maintain a social media presence. Just as it rude to stare at people, it’s considered rude to lurk, or observe social media pages without participating. Enterprises are not immune to this primary tenet of good netizenship. Businesses that engage with consumers grow their brands and gain authority over time.
Originality is another important aspect of ethical, social media behaviour. Whenever employees post an idea or image on behalf of the organisation, it’s important to give credit to the creator of that intellectual property. Companies that fail to follow this rule can get called out by consumers and face damaging credibility accusations.
By sharing the content of followers, brands can build substantial goodwill among their online audience. This is an excellent way to build relationships with trendsetting social media users called influencers. When companies publicise content created by their audience, these individuals are more likely to return the favour and provide coveted online endorsements and referrals.
Maintaining Professional Ethics
Behind the scenes, today’s enterprises can collect enormous amounts of detailed consumer data. So much so that problems can arise concerning the collection and sharing of people’s data. In these instances, enterprise leaders must ensure the ethical and secure handling of consumer information. It’s of vital importance not to trample on consumer privacy rights when promoting a good or service. Enterprises should also be careful not to manipulate public opinion about their brand, but instead, view negative posts as opportunities to resolve consumer issues and build relationships.
Some of today’s enterprise leaders can get lost in the technical aspects of digital marketing. With work, it is possible to move to the top of search results and build short-term online credibility. However, this credibility will not last long if it’s not equally complemented by ethical practices. Social media gives consumers a powerful platform for voicing their opinions. As a result, business leaders must implement ethical frameworks and profit strategies to ensure long-term credibility and growth.
Walking the Moral High Ground
As a rule of thumb, ethical marketing involves activities that do not cause negative or unsatisfying outcomes for consumers. Consumers can very easily voice their displeasure on social media channels, resulting in a loss of trust in a particular brand. For large enterprises that can implement campaigns to counter this outcome, this is less of a problem. However, a negative public outcry can cause a small- to medium-sized business to shutter its doors.
Today’s enterprise leaders must give equal thought to ethics when developing new and exciting ways to take advantage of the latest technological innovations. By formally establishing ethical standards, enterprise leaders can create a balance between how their organisations use online resources and the protection and privacy of their consumers.
