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How to integrate ethical practices into your marketing
Focusing on the moral principles that govern a person's behavior or activity should be in every brand's DNA.
Why ecommerce brands should focus on ethics
What’s all the rage about ethical marketing? Well, consumers are becoming more concerned about how brands and their activities affect people and the planet. One of the reasons they’re becoming more mindful is because of the climate emergency, which has had a lot more press over the last year thanks to the activism of Greta Thunberg. Consumers care, so they expect their favorite brands to care – and now, with raging bush fires and flash floods, that doesn’t just mean having an opinion, but actively doing something about it.What do brands need to address?
- The health of the planet
- Fair trade
- Human rights
- Decent pay and working conditions
- People in need
How to overcome the ethical marketing barriers
Many brands find it hard to commit to big ethical incentives because such activities are not profitable. Plus, low cash flow means it just might not be affordable. But there are alternatives brands can explore. It’s important to remember that customers will favor brands that put their ethical values first. This could mean all the difference to your loyalty and advocacy in the long run.Start with your product image
What a brand wants to do versus what a brand can do is like every business strategy. There needs to be a reality check. But that doesn’t mean long-term goals won’t be unattainable forever. Brands can make a sustainability or charity wish list, and then tick things off one by one. Product image is one of the most important aspects of ethical marketing. Consumers will need good answers to the following:- Where does your product come from?
- How is it made?
- Who makes it and where and in what condition?
- How is it packaged and distributed?
Scaling your sustainable activities
It takes time and work to trade as a sustainable business. But there is a growing demand from everyday consumers for retailers to raise sustainability from niche to market. There needs to be a consolidated effort to make ethical marketing common practice. Companies need to recognize that helping the environment and contributing to a meaningful cause (while trading as a business) is a bottleneck rather than a challenge. Think of it as growing pains. As your brand develops a loyal customer base and financial pressure eases, ethical marketing will take more of a center stage. Remember, retailers have an all-important role to play in promoting the sustainability of products to all their customers. It gives people a better reason to buy and puts a more positive spin on consumerism. Ethical products shouldn’t be seen as luxury nice-to-haves, but affordable must-haves that empower customers beyond a single transaction. What kind of activities constitute ethical ecommerce?- Active charity work
- Sustainable and ethically sourced products
- Good working conditions
- Fair price and promotion (antitrust)
- Zero waste pollution
- Equal opportunities at work
- Fair trade practices
- Corporate social responsibility
Download our ethical marketing ebook
We’ve created an ebook with six ways brands can integrate ethical practices into their business. These include:- Contributing to a meaningful cause
- Inspiring giving during consumer holidays
- Making customers feel compassion
- Communicating transparency within your brand
- Showing ethical sourcing and production
- Being authentic by showing that your 4Ps are fair