Every business owner and marketer on the planet was shaken awake by the pandemic. No one has ever seen anything like COVID-19′s global devastation in the last few decades. The earnings of businesses were greatly damaged. Marketing budgets were cut, if not completely eliminated, across the board, as expected. For the duration of the lockdown, people were forced to adapt their habits, and these changes would have a significant effect. For example, many people who had never shopped online before developed a new habit of doing so. People have been forced to try new things (online shopping, streaming video channels), new products (hand sanitizers), new ways of socialising (Zoom parties), new ways of functioning (remotely), a new focus on wellness and well-being (yoga, meditation, health foods, and supplements), and so on. And, of course, marketing has to adjust to this new norm.
Many scientists believe that this would not be the last outbreak of its kind. This pandemic, or something else, is said to be able to hit us in waves. It’s unclear if those outbreaks would be on the same scale as the recent pandemic. What is certain is that crises will continue to occur.
Health crises, economic crises, cybersecurity crises, political crises, humanitarian crises, and natural disaster crises are just some of the many types of crises that can occur. It’s important for marketers to be ready for whatever comes their way. If crises are going to be a part of life, crisis management will have to be a part of life as well. Question arises along with this crisis’s management, does Marketing ethics has definite role to play during such crises.
Marketing Ethics and Risk Management
It is critical that marketers begin to take on risk management responsibilities. It may be a systemic approach, such as embedding a risk management specialist within marketing or providing full outside support.
As per literature, ‘Ethics’ most commonly refers to a field of study, a discipline, in which issues of right and wrong, good and evil, virtue and vice are thoroughly examined. ‘Morality,’ on the other hand, is most commonly used to refer to habits of thinking and behaviour that are present in daily life rather than a discipline. The discipline of ethics is mostly about values in this context.
Marketing ethics explores marketing and marketing morality in depth, focusing on 4P topics such as toxic goods, misleading pricing, deceptive advertisement or bribery, and distribution discrimination. Other concerns include taking advantage of market vulnerability or using public relations to discourage independent media and public discourse.
Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer of Mastercard and also the president of the company’s healthcare business described in the book on Quantum Marketing that Marketers must develop a mitigation plan for each danger, which is more proactive, as well as a containment plan, which is how the harm is reduced. These plans will include identifying the team members who are in charge of keeping a close eye on the risk, the main indicators that must be monitored to determine whether the risk has materialised or is materialising, and the co-ordination of the risk.
Author has emphasized on following signifiers which are related to ethical crisis management by businesses.
Purpose in Crisis
It’s easy to preach about a company’s purpose-driven existence in good times, and CEOs of such companies can give eloquent speeches about how their company is committed to pursuing its North Star. When a crisis strikes, however, the goal may be abandoned, and the company may become distracted. In fact, intent should be viewed as the North Star, which does not move. Regardless of floods, typhoons, or fires, the goal remains the same, figuratively (and even literally). What does shift, though, is how a marketer goes about achieving that goal, using a particular set of techniques and methods that are better suited to the situation.
Serving versus Selling
There is a time for selling and a time for serving. In normal times, a marketer would want to market and sell the company’s goods and services to buyers and consumers actively, consistently, and properly. A crisis, on the other hand, is not the time to sell. The time to serve is during a crisis. Sales ambitions should not be pursued during a crisis.
It is not the time to be opportunistic during a crisis. When trust is established or destroyed, it is during a crisis. Trust is lost when a brand appears to be self-serving, opportunistic, or worse, exploitative. Serving clients in times of crisis fosters long-term relationships. And that is really invaluable.
Don’t Be Exploitative
Marketers and businesses should never exploit their customers or consumers. During a crisis, some products may be in short supply, or people may require them urgently. There may be an easy way to raise the price and fleece the customers. They will still purchase it because they may not have an option. They will, however, remember, when good times come, or when the brand needs them, they will show the brand the way out.
CRISIS Communication
During a crisis, the public relations or communications team will be critical. Nothing could be more essential than informing all key stakeholders, both internal and external, about what has been happening, what the brand is doing with it, and why they should feel confident that the brand is doing everything possible to control as much of the situation as possible.
Don’t Go Dark
Although it might be appropriate to cut marketing budgets during a crisis, it is important not to go completely dark. A brand’s need to show itself and remain recognisable is greatest during times of crisis. It’s crucial not to be tone deaf when it comes to customer or business opinion. Even if you say the right things, it’s important that you say them correctly, as the old saying goes.
Conclusion: Crises will come at us very certainly. Whether the next crisis is big or small, marketers always need to maintain a state of preparedness. When, not if, the crisis materializes, they should be ready to switch their strategy, plans, and tactics to contain any damage. Organizations must confront and respond to crises, which is better understood in terms of the firm’s growing network of stakeholder relationships. The loss or maintenance of ethical decision-making is a crucial element of dealing with crisis.
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