BSBA 22A2- MM
GOOD
GOVERNANCE
& SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
by:
Omar Geronimo
Anthon Jerome G. Amago
Enrique M. Agbuya
Carylle Ghelcine P. Ramones
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT
ISSUES IN ADVERTISING?
Advertising is not totally immoral. It only becomes
unethical when the advertisement becomes
01. Misleading
02. Deceptive manipulative or coercive
03. Manipulative or coercive
(cf. Richard de George.)
Business Ethics. 3rd ed. University of Kansas
(New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990) pp. 225-241.)
Misleading Advertisements - do not misrepresent, do not make false
claims but it makes claims in such a way that a normal person looking at
it comes up with the wrong conclusion.
Deceptive Advertisements - makes a false statement or misrepresents
the product, e.g. the picture presented in the advertisement differs from
the actual product.
Manipulative Coercive Advertisements - or manipulative
advertisements uses trickery or by devious or insidious means. Coercive
advertisement involves the use of force or threat, either physical or
psychological.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING
Deceptive ads are those which either make a false
statement and therefore, lie, or which represent the
product without making any statement. Deceptions
may occur not only through sentences or
propositions but also through pictures, individual
words, or through certain combinations of objects
which can deceive the eye and mind A typical
example of a deceptive advertising is one where
pictures from the box of the product do not look the
same as the contents of the product. In this case,
the picture is said to be deceptive.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
USE OF "WEASEL WORDS"
Another deceptive technique in advertising is
ambiguity. When ads are ambiguous, they are
considered deceptive. The use of weasel words is often
complementary to ambiguity in advertising. Weasel
words are used to avoid or recoil from a direct or
straightforward statement. This is true with semantics
which often used in advertisements in order prevent
accusations that advertisers are acting immorally.
One example of Help means commonly used weasel
word is"help" to "aid" or "assist." According to one
author, the word help has been generally used to say
something that couldn't be said. We are usually
accustomed to ads that contain phrases like: helps
fight, helps prevent, helps stop, helps you feel, helps
overcome, helps you look. Other commonly used weasel
words are: like virtual or virtually, can be, up to, as
much as, and many other words that are used to imply
what can't be said.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
EXAGGERATION
onsumers might also be misled through exaggeration.
Exaggeration occurs when advertisements tend to
make false claims of the benefits of the goods or
services which is actually unsupported by valid
evidence. For example, claims that a pain reliever
provides "extra pain relief or is "50 percent stronger
than aspirin," that it "upsets the stomach less
frequently or is "superior to any other nonprescription
painkiller on the market contradict evidence that all
analgesics are effective to the same degree
(Washington Post health supplement). Much of the
exaggeration is usually done by manufacturers of
vitamins and other dietary supplements, while some
drug companies do the same.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
EXAGGERATION
Exaggeration often goes hand in hand with concealed
information Advertisers conceal facts by suppressing
information that is unflattering to their products. That
is, they deliberately neglect to mention or distract
consumers' attention away from information,
knowledge which would probably make their products
less desirable.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPEALS
Advertisers play on several different tactics to get
people. interested in their products. There are some
advertisements that are directed at arousing human
emotional needs rather than reason. This is one area in
advertising that presents a serious moral concern.
Richard F. Taflinger defines psychological appeal as a
visual or aural influence on the subconscious mind and
emotions. It influences by implying that doing what is
suggested (in the case of advertising, buying the
product or service) will satisfy a subconscious desire. It
is not subliminal, which includes elements in a visual or
aural presentation that are not consciously perceived
but influence behavior.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPEALS
Taflinger further states that if a psychological appeal
couldn't be perceived, it would have no effect at all. In
fact, it is blatantly obvious the moment one knows such
appeals exist It doesn't aim at intellect. In fact,
intellect can often get in the way of the effect of an
appeal. Further, psychological appeal doesn't have to
make sense and often shouldn't have to be effective.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
ADS DIRECTED AT CHILDREN
Most advertisers have recognized that advertising to
children is effective and eventually became a big
business recently. Children are a special group of
consumers who do not regard reason. In the U.S., the
advertising industry spends $12 billion per year on ads
targeted at children, bombarding young audiences with
persuasive messages. Children between ages four and
12 receive as gifts about $20.3 billion and spend
approximately $17.4 billion of it on items such as
snacks, candies, and toys. The figure provided doesn't
even account for billions of adult purchases for gifts,
clothes, and groceries that are influenced by children.
Advertising at children has grown exponentially in the
recent years.
SOME ISSUE IN ADVERTISING
ADS DIRECTED AT CHILDREN
More than $1.5 billion a year is spent by advertisers on
ads for children, owing to the fact that more and more
venues for advertising for children are now available
such as in magazines, websites and television channels
exclusively for children. The average child is exposed to
more than 40,000 TV commercials a year, according to
studies. And ads are reaching children through new
media technologies and even in schools-with corporate
sponsored educational materials and product
placements in students textbooks.
CASES
False or Misleading Advertising
Real Case Example: In 2019, the Philippine
government’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
issued a warning against misleading health claims in
advertising. For example, some dietary supplements
advertised as capable of curing or preventing diseases
without scientific evidence. Companies were required
to withdraw false claims or face legal consequences
CASES
Deceptive Pricing and Discounts
Real Case Example: In 2020, an investigation by the
Philippine government found that some online
shopping platforms were advertising "flash sales" with
marked-down prices, but the original prices had been
inflated beforehand. This kind of deceptive pricing
practice is considered unethical and can lead to
consumer distrust