Exploitation or Target Marketing?

[SavageTaker]

It’s a pretty simply question, do you think it’s wrong or right for a company to market a product or service towards a specific race or age groups?

I think that if you look at it from a the companies perspective, then they would probably say that it’s okay for them to market their product to whoever they want because their goal is to make money, and if marketing their product towards that race or age group is going to make them money, that’s what they should do.

So, they probably would say it’s okay to do that, but that’s from their perspective. My take on companies doing something like that is that it’s wrong of them to do that. Now, I don’t own a business so I don’t really know if I would do the same thing in order to just make money, but right now I see it as something that is wrong to do. But maybe I’ll change my mind if I ever do start my own business.

Anyways, why do I think it’s wrong? Well, it’s kind of hard for me to explain but hopefully someone will understand what I am trying to say. Take cigarette companies for example, some of them have been known to target younger age groups (whether they admit to doing it or not) by having cheaper cigarettes than generics and national brands so that those younger people go out and buy them or have someone buy the cigarettes for them since they are more affordable. Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s wrong for companies to do things like that because of the consequences for the people buying the product.

What are you thoughts?

 

[Mr. Steve]

Look at that! I was reading a case on my Principles of Marketing book about something like this. Here goes:

it's all a matter of how you see it as a company. Some see a certain age and race group as an opportunity(Penetrating a market, switching your target market, etc.) But other companies are hesitant to do so for fear of being called out on Exploiting. I'm partial to it being used as an opportunity but with limits, as in "X opportunity can only stretch so far". This subject is dealt with in Business Ethics and a company's Social Responsibility.

And sometimes a target market is limited to a race or age group. Baby Boomers, X Gen, Y Gen, Millenium Gen, Hispanics, African-American, Asian-American, Caucasians, etc.

Again, it can be done but it cannot be taken too far, because a company just winds up on the crossfire, like the Tobacco Market companies. They'll come under fire from anyone because "they exploit people from X age and/or X group." Every company have to pick a target Market and cater to them. Luxury cars, Harley- Davidson, Rolex watches, Wal-Mart, etc. I can go on and on about this.

 

[Milkyway!]

It’s a pretty simply question, do you think it’s wrong or right for a company to market a product or service towards a specific race or age groups?

For age. No, everything has a demographic. For race, I doubt any companies do this, anymore. Your race does not define your personality. Maybe back in the old days, but now I think theres far too much knowledge in advertisements to really do something so stupid.

I think that if you look at it from a the companies perspective, then they would probably say that it’s okay for them to market their product to whoever they want because their goal is to make money,

Theres many restrictions, I'm sure. Such as the old mupet type characters in cigarette comercials was outlawed. Obviously, because it gave the ideal to children that it was okay to smoke.

and if marketing their product towards that race or age group is going to make them money, that’s what they should do.

Of course. As long as its legal, they should be able to market to whomever they please.

My take on companies doing something like that is that it’s wrong of them to do that.

Seems silly. Obviously when you make a toy, its going to be targeted at children with young ages. As for race, I once again doubt any companies target specifically twards race. If you would find me an example of such a thing, please do so.

Take cigarette companies for example, some of them have been known to target younger age groups

The comercials targeting younger age groups, have been outlawed.

by having cheaper cigarettes than generics and national brands so that those younger people go out and buy them or have someone buy the cigarettes for them since they are more affordable.

Uh? Did I miss something here? Thats called advertisement. Obviously if your cigarettes are 40 cents cheaper than the leading brand of say, Marlboro. You're obviously going to advertise such a thing.

 

[SavageTaker]

For age. No, everything has a demographic. For race, I doubt any companies do this, anymore.

Many companies still do this Milky, they just don’t admit to doing so.

Your race does not define your personality. Maybe back in the old days, but now I think theres far too much knowledge in advertisements to really do something so stupid.

I’m not sure what the hell you’re talking about. Did you even read what this thread was about?

Of course. As long as its legal, they should be able to market to whomever they please.

I know, but that’s from THEIR perspective. I want to know what YOUR opinions are.

Seems silly. Obviously when you make a toy, its going to be targeted at children with young ages.

Milky, I’m not talking about toys. Of course toys are going to be marketing towards children, what I am talking about is products like cigarettes.

As for race, I once again doubt any companies target specifically twards race. If you would find me an example of such a thing, please do so.

The owner of Maverick (a brand of cigarettes) had billboards advertising his product in areas with large African-American Populations. The billboards had a young African-American couple sitting in a car appearing to have a good time.

That’s the first one that comes to minds, but there have been many other times companies have marketing their products towards a specific race.

The comercials targeting younger age groups, have been outlawed.

I know that Milky, they’ve been outlawed for many years now. But you do know there are many other ways of advertising? Using commercials is not the only way to advertise a product; they can also use billboards for example.

Uh? Did I miss something here? Thats called advertisement. Obviously if your cigarettes are 40 cents cheaper than the leading brand of say, Marlboro. You're obviously going to advertise such a thing.

Now let’s hear your opinions. Is it wrong or right for a company to do things like that?

 

[Milkyway!]

Many companies still do this Milky, they just don’t admit to doing so.

I have to disagree. As I said before. Your race does not define your personality. Maybe back in the old days, but now I think theres far too much knowledge in advertisements to really do something so stupid.

I’m not sure what the hell you’re talking about. Did you even read what this thread was about?

Obviously. I replied to everything you said....I was stating from my psychological experiences, it is basically known all throughout the world. You cannot target a single race. Sure you can post pictures of black people having fun using your product in an all black neighborhood, and vise versa for an all white neighborhood. But that doesn't mean you're specifiacally targeting blacks/whites, I think thats just adapting to the environment.

I know, but that’s from THEIR perspective. I want to know what YOUR opinions are.

That is my opinion. If its going to make money, and its not agaisnt the law. Then I'm going to do it.

Milky, I’m not talking about toys. Of course toys are going to be marketing towards children, what I am talking about is products like cigarettes.

You simply said advertisements ingeneral. I used a toy as my example. Obviously cars are targeted twards adults/older teens. Its called a demographic. As for cigarettes, or alcohalic beverages. I allready stated my opinion on it above. If its going to make money, and its not agaisnt the law then do whatever the heck you want.

The owner of Maverick (a brand of cigarettes) had billboards advertising his product in areas with large African-American Populations. The billboards had a young African-American couple sitting in a car appearing to have a good time.

Sounds like they were being smart, and adapting to their environment. I assume the young couple looked of age, and I've noticed MANY subliminal effects in such billboards, with I.D's in the background of the photos around my area.

That’s the first one that comes to minds, but there have been many other times companies have marketing their products towards a specific race.

Your example simply seems like an adaptation. The same company has a billboard going up main street. Except instead of black, they are white. I don't find that wrong, I simply find that smart.

I know that Milky, they’ve been outlawed for many years now. But you do know there are many other ways of advertising? Using commercials is not the only way to advertise a product; they can also use billboards for example.

Again, thats agaisnt the law.

Now let’s hear your opinions. Is it wrong or right for a company to do things like that?

I stated my opinions.

 

[Mr. Steve]

you got a hole in your argument.

That is my opinion. If its going to make money, and its not against the law. Then I'm going to do it.

Milky, this subject is related to Business Ethics, not the legality of practices. You can have a plan that can be legal, and profitable, but it can be unethical.

 

[SavageTaker]

I have to disagree. As I said before. Your race does not define your personality.

I don’t see why you keep saying this. I am NOT talking about personality or anything like that. I simply want to know if people think it’s alright for companies to market their product or service towards a specific race or age group which you have already responded to.

You cannot target a single race.

Actually, you can. I gave you the example of Maverick targeting areas with high African-American populations.

Sure you can post pictures of black people having fun using your product in an all black neighborhood, and vise versa for an all white neighborhood. But that doesn't mean you're specifiacally targeting blacks/whites, I think thats just adapting to the environment.

So you don’t think they are marketing toward African-Americans alone? Then explain to me why they had their cigarettes at a cheaper price in a convenience store near the billboard. And explain to me why the Tobacco industry had used more African-American actresses and actors so that they can get more young people hooked?

That is my opinion. If its going to make money, and its not agaisnt the law. Then I'm going to do it.

So you don’t you think it’s wrong to target young African-Americans just because it makes you money?

Your example simply seems like an adaptation. The same company has a billboard going up main street. Except instead of black, they are white. I don't find that wrong, I simply find that smart.

They are not adapting to anything. They are blatantly advertising cigarettes to young African-Americans, how is that adapting to the environment?

Again, thats agaisnt the law.

Tobacco companies advertising on Billboards is not against the law, it’s against the law for them to run commercials advertising cigarettes.

 

[X]

Anyone who thinks that the cigarette companies don't still target young people is pretty damn naive. Why do you think there are 9000 new brands of flavored cigarettes these days? Who do you think the new cotton-candy flavored mocha cigarette blend is being made for? It isn't the middle aged man getting off work at the steel mill. Just because they can't blatantly advertise cigarettes to children doesn't mean they don't still use more subtle tactics to advertise to kids. It's simple recruiting, it's easier to get them hooked at a younger age so they can keep buying your product forever.

Is this wrong? Sure. It's not very high on my list of problems with the world right now though.

 

[Razor]

Marketing toward a specific group? What group are we speaking of? A specific group of adults? Such as, the 18-24 male bracket? Why should that be unethical? They want a specific group of adults to buy their product, and they're marketing specifically toward them. If that's wrong, then now every company has to make a completely bland and vague commercially that targets every adult, even the ones they don't necessarily want to buy their products. You'll be seeing jeans commercials with old people running around in them, because jeans commercials can't just sell to young people, they also have to target the older crowd. That's just silly.

Now, in the arena of children, there's a different worry. If the product is a toy, then hell. Let's go for it. Target children. Adults aren't going to buy a Spongebob figurine in the same force that children will, after all. The product offers no harm to the child, so I don't see the problem with it.

The problem with marketing toward children arises when the product is harmful. Cigarettes, for instance. I know I'm jumping on the cigarette hating bandwagon, but it's the easiest to argue. We all know that cigarettes are inextricably linked to cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and any other disease you could think of that has to do with the body and what happens when 300+ toxins are inhaled at once. So when the cigarette companies market jellybean flavored cigarettes, it's blatantly marketing toward children. Marketing an incredibly deadly or just harmful product toward children is foolhardy, immoral, and has no ethical basis. It is, plain and simply, wrong.

 

[antfarm612]

It’s a pretty simply question, do you think it’s wrong or right for a company to market a product or service towards a specific race or age groups?

No, unless the specific age is children and the product is specifically meant for adults, i.e. pornography, cigarettes, alcohol, etc.

Otherwise, I don't really understand the question. If research proves that a certain demographic is more likely to buy a certain product, what exactly is unethical about target marketing?

 

[FromTheSouth]

It is absolutely fine to market to specific groups. It is the purpose of having a marketing department. Businesses don't have unlimited budgets with which to advertise, so they find the appropriate time of day and programming to run their ads.

For instance, commercials for maxipads run during soap operas, commercials for ED treatments run during sports. Would it make any sense for a company to advertise Barbie during Raw? Or course not. Those ads wouldn't pull any revenue in for the company, so it would be a waste of money.

I have no idea why you would have a problem with it. Are you that concerned about cigarette ads? Well, they aren't even allowed on TV anymore. When was the last time you saw a Marlboro ad on TV? Why would Viagara advertise in Teen Beat magazine? Products have to target specific groups to sell. Next time you watch TV, think about who the target audience is, and watch the ads. Fruity Pebbles during cartoons on Nickelodeon, All-Bra, commercial come on during Golden Girls. Polydent targets the Golden Girls crowd as well. It wouldn't make any sense to put a Polydent commercial on during Power Rangers, would it? Like I said, I have no idea why you would have a problem with this.

Look at it this way, music videos are nothing but marketing commercials for songs. Do you see Carrie Underwood videos on BET?