“Do you feel as if John should take the risk and sell the names?”
I agree with you that he should not sell the names. He has a responsibility to live up to the Statement of Ethics provided by the American Marketing Association. He needs to either contact the people he interviewed and let them know he has been asked to share their information or he needs to let them know there is a possibility of sharing the information when he conducts the initial interview. He needs to live up to the ethical standards of honesty, responsibility, trust, respect, and fairness. He needs to respect the privacy of the 2,000 people he interviewed. He needs to be honest with the people he interviewed that he is giving away the information. He also needs to be fair with them and give them the option. Either way he decides to go he needs to take responsibility for his actions.
I feel he shouldn’t sell the names without contacting each and every person he surveyed. Yes it would be costly and very time consuming but it would be the right thing to do; otherwise you might lose future business. Ethically it would be the right thing to do. What do you think?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The John Smith Scenario..
"Should John Smith sell the names? Does the AMA Statement of Ethics address this issue?"
This would be a tough situation for John Smith because he has to make a tough decision: does he break the trust of the people he surveyed and sell the names? Or does he keep their privacy and lay off his own workers? If he breaks the privacy he gets to keep his employees on, but in turn could hurt the people he surveyed and in turn hurt his future business. The American Marketing Association has a Statement of Ethics pertaining to the actions of marketers. The marketers need to think of their actions, as abiding by the ethical standards, when dealing with customers, stakeholders, etc. John Smith is a marketer so yeah I would say the AMA addresses his issue.
I feel he shouldn’t sell the names. Selling off the information without alerting the people he surveyed would be unethical. The AMA Statement of Ethics talks about the “honesty to be forthright in dealing with customers”; if he wants to sell the names he should be honest and upfront with the 2,000 people. The Statement of Ethics also talks about the ethical norm of “Do Not Harm”. John would have to think about the people he could potentially be harming. Yes, some people might not care if they get contacted by the car dealership but some of the people might be hurt. If John told them he could ensure their privacy and he was only using their information for his benefit, and then he sold it off to a dealership, it could hurt some people. Then he would have to take responsibility for his actions (he has to take responsibility for all of his actions anyways), another point the AMA addresses.
I think if he really feels the pressure to earn the $8,000, he could call up the people he surveyed and get permission to give up their information. That process would be extremely time consuming but it would also be ethical. He would be honest with the 2,000 people by taking responsibility and hoping to cause little to no harm. I feel he shouldn’t sell off the names without abiding by that process; if it’s too time consuming for him and not worth it, then forget about the $8,000. What do you think? Should he sell off the names for his workers? Is it ethical?
This would be a tough situation for John Smith because he has to make a tough decision: does he break the trust of the people he surveyed and sell the names? Or does he keep their privacy and lay off his own workers? If he breaks the privacy he gets to keep his employees on, but in turn could hurt the people he surveyed and in turn hurt his future business. The American Marketing Association has a Statement of Ethics pertaining to the actions of marketers. The marketers need to think of their actions, as abiding by the ethical standards, when dealing with customers, stakeholders, etc. John Smith is a marketer so yeah I would say the AMA addresses his issue.
I feel he shouldn’t sell the names. Selling off the information without alerting the people he surveyed would be unethical. The AMA Statement of Ethics talks about the “honesty to be forthright in dealing with customers”; if he wants to sell the names he should be honest and upfront with the 2,000 people. The Statement of Ethics also talks about the ethical norm of “Do Not Harm”. John would have to think about the people he could potentially be harming. Yes, some people might not care if they get contacted by the car dealership but some of the people might be hurt. If John told them he could ensure their privacy and he was only using their information for his benefit, and then he sold it off to a dealership, it could hurt some people. Then he would have to take responsibility for his actions (he has to take responsibility for all of his actions anyways), another point the AMA addresses.
I think if he really feels the pressure to earn the $8,000, he could call up the people he surveyed and get permission to give up their information. That process would be extremely time consuming but it would also be ethical. He would be honest with the 2,000 people by taking responsibility and hoping to cause little to no harm. I feel he shouldn’t sell off the names without abiding by that process; if it’s too time consuming for him and not worth it, then forget about the $8,000. What do you think? Should he sell off the names for his workers? Is it ethical?
Response to Sarah Hall's Post on The Articles..
"What is better for companies, direct mail, or electronic?"
I feel there are benefits to using electronic and direct mail. Electronic mail allows companies to contact a large group of people at a relatively cheap cost. It also allows you to access information and change information in a matter of minutes, compared to direct mail. Technology is of the present and email is a popular way to keep in touch and to keep updated. Kids now a days have email accounts to keep in touch instead of sending letters via Postal Mail. But a downside to electronic mail is that customers can instantly delete it without reading it and without giving it a second thought. Another downside is that emails can get annoying; spam and fraudulent emails filling up your inbox can take away from the important messages.
Direct mail gives a sense of personalization though. Receiving postcards in the mail addressed specifically to the customer can make the customer feel important and appreciated. Yes, envelopes, postcards, and postage stamps can be expensive but it can also leave a lasting impression on the recipient. I can say from experience that I will be more willing to do business with a company if I receive a letter in the mail alerting me of promotions, sales, or new arriving items. Also, direct mail has to be handled before it is thrown away. Someone will always have to look at the letter before throwing it in the trash; and those brief seconds of handling the mail can sway the customer one way or another. Direct mail will always be around and people will continue to use it. But direct mail has a couple downsides in the sense that it can be expensive and time consuming. The technology of electronic mail is ever changing and will have an effect on direct mail. But like I stated already, most people will have an apartment or home and attached to that is a mailing address; postal mail is never going away.
I don’t feel that electronic mail is better than direct mail and vice versa. Both have advantages and downsides to what they do for a company and a customer. I think companies should use both systems; alert someone in emails of sales and promotions while mailing customers to let them know of their importance to the company. If companies can find a balance in both mailing systems, I think it would be extremely helpful.
I feel there are benefits to using electronic and direct mail. Electronic mail allows companies to contact a large group of people at a relatively cheap cost. It also allows you to access information and change information in a matter of minutes, compared to direct mail. Technology is of the present and email is a popular way to keep in touch and to keep updated. Kids now a days have email accounts to keep in touch instead of sending letters via Postal Mail. But a downside to electronic mail is that customers can instantly delete it without reading it and without giving it a second thought. Another downside is that emails can get annoying; spam and fraudulent emails filling up your inbox can take away from the important messages.
Direct mail gives a sense of personalization though. Receiving postcards in the mail addressed specifically to the customer can make the customer feel important and appreciated. Yes, envelopes, postcards, and postage stamps can be expensive but it can also leave a lasting impression on the recipient. I can say from experience that I will be more willing to do business with a company if I receive a letter in the mail alerting me of promotions, sales, or new arriving items. Also, direct mail has to be handled before it is thrown away. Someone will always have to look at the letter before throwing it in the trash; and those brief seconds of handling the mail can sway the customer one way or another. Direct mail will always be around and people will continue to use it. But direct mail has a couple downsides in the sense that it can be expensive and time consuming. The technology of electronic mail is ever changing and will have an effect on direct mail. But like I stated already, most people will have an apartment or home and attached to that is a mailing address; postal mail is never going away.
I don’t feel that electronic mail is better than direct mail and vice versa. Both have advantages and downsides to what they do for a company and a customer. I think companies should use both systems; alert someone in emails of sales and promotions while mailing customers to let them know of their importance to the company. If companies can find a balance in both mailing systems, I think it would be extremely helpful.
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