Ethical Standards Of Advertising In For-Profit Organizations

¬To bring attention and aid to the plight of those who require society’s assistance, both locally and on a global scale, is a noble virtue. The role of advertising is: to share information, educate, inform; and from a charitable viewpoint, persuade an audience to contribute either through volunteerism or donation. By applying an ethical lens to the issue of charitable advertising, this paper will demonstrate that although advertising benefits the needs of many, charities must never loose sight that their beneficiaries are more than a means to an end. Ethical standards of branding in for-profit corporations should be applied charitable work, but charities should additionally be held to a higher moral standard. Where charities do beneficial work

To counter, some organizations have cultivated their brand to differentiate themselves from the competition as the cornerstone from which all fundraisings and advertising initiatives are built on. Proponents of using branding for charities state, “brand orientation helps voluntary organizations develop trust alongside key stakeholders communities” (Stride, 2006) The public interprets what a foundation does and stands for, what is the essence of the charity including its stakeholders. Stakeholders are those who have a stake or claim in the organization including customers, employees and the local community with each of the steakholders groups possessing a right to not to be treated as a means to some end. In opposition to the stockholder management structure, where decisions made with an interest to increase profitability, a charity serves to service their stakeholder community, namely the clients, and the community at large. (Freeman, 2007) Critics have claimed that branding ideology that follows a commercial focus when applied to charitable promotion could potentially hurt an association’s specialized persona. (Stride, 2006) Branding personifies an institution by applying human virtues on it. Branding is embedded in every area of an organization

(Wheeler, 2003) Content that is cultivated for this personal allows the branding to fill a “symbolic functions for consumers”. (Doddington, Jones, Miller, 1994) Aristotle argues that because our well-being is tied to others, we can apply this to charitable brand alignment, consumers can forge an emotional bond with these institutions – feeling good by doing good based on this alignment. (Beam, 2014) Charities values, when aligned with our in turn legitimize their existence with consumers. Charitable branding however is not without its critics who complain that campaigns put forth by are becoming increasingly commercial in a hyper-competitive marketplace as a way to stand apart from the completion for donor dollars (Stride, 2006). In developing their brand persona some have used unflattering imagery and perpetuated virtues that have negative consequences for those they seek to aid. With an application of the utilitarian approach to branding, charities have attempted to maximize the positive for the organization through donations at the expense of those who use their service. For