Difference between revisions of "Digital Marketing"
(→First Issue: Identities on Social Media) |
m (Added subheadings, fixed typos, changed first sentence, added links, added new reference) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File: Online-vs-instore-ecommerce-infographic-1-638.png|350px|thumbnail|right|https://www.slideshare.net/Nextopia/online-vs-instoreecommerceinfographic]] | [[File: Online-vs-instore-ecommerce-infographic-1-638.png|350px|thumbnail|right|https://www.slideshare.net/Nextopia/online-vs-instoreecommerceinfographic]] | ||
| − | + | '''Digital marketing''' is defined as the application of digital media, data, and technology, along with traditional communication techniques for marketing.<ref> Chaffey, Dave, and Fiona Ellis-Chadwick. Digital Marketing. 7th Edition ed., Pearson, 2020, Google Books, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=-1yGDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT20&dq=digital marketing concerns&ots=XiQq4PiO60&sig=nH1YOJtaxjiNbT-g-1srVPz4xOU#v=onepage&q=digital marketing concerns&f=false.</ref> In 2020, U.S. consumers spent $861.12 billion dollars buying items online and the U.S. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce| eCommerce] grew forty-four percent. <ref> Fareeha Ali | Jan 29, 2., Fareeha Ali | Jan 29, 2., Don Davis | Feb 2, 2., Fareeha Ali | Oct 15, 2., & Fareeha Ali | May 28, 2. (2021, March 01). US eCommerce grew 44.0% in 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/#:~:text=Consumers%20spent%20%24861.12%20billion%20online,the%2015.1%25%20jump%20in%202019 | |
</ref> The covid-19 pandemic has altered online shopping habits and shifted society towards more digital dependence. Companies such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart have picked up on these trends and they are transforming their online retail and improving their digital marketing. Currently, more companies are starting to realize that if they are “not findable on the web” they will not be able to reach the modern consumer. <ref>Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c. </ref> | </ref> The covid-19 pandemic has altered online shopping habits and shifted society towards more digital dependence. Companies such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart have picked up on these trends and they are transforming their online retail and improving their digital marketing. Currently, more companies are starting to realize that if they are “not findable on the web” they will not be able to reach the modern consumer. <ref>Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c. </ref> | ||
| − | People are starting to prefer shopping online rather than shopping in person for several reasons. Not only is online shopping more convenient, but there | + | People are starting to prefer shopping online rather than shopping in person for several reasons. Not only is online shopping more convenient, but there tend to be better comparison prices and less expenses involved. <ref> Nextopia Software Corporation Follow. (2015, February 06). Online vs. in-store eCommerce infographic. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.slideshare.net/Nextopia/online-vs-instoreecommerceinfographic |
| − | </ref> Consumers also appreciate the privacy and discreteness of | + | </ref> Consumers also appreciate the privacy and discreteness of eCommerce shopping. Digital marketing tactics play on these shifting habits and have become much more than simple Facebook ads and disposable corporation emails. Today, there are many types of digital marketing including [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization Search Engine Optimization (SEO)], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay-per-click Pay-per-Click (PPC)], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media_marketing Social Media Marketing], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_marketing Content Marketing], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_marketing#:~:text=Email%20marketing%20is%20the%20act,or%20solicit%20sales%20or%20donations. Email Marketing], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_marketing Mobile Marketing] <ref> Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c. </ref>. Even though these are different mechanisms of marketing, all of these platforms want traffic to their website to pay the bills of the digital marketers. The shift to online shopping has led companies to exploit consumers by selling their personal information in exchange for them falling for their digital marketing techniques and shopping comfortably from their homes. |
| − | == | + | ==Ethical Implications== |
| − | One of the primary ethical implications of digital marketing is the misrepresentation of identities on social media. Social media influencers and other online employees have marketed a company’s products or services on social media without disclosing their involvement with them. <ref> Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c. </ref> This is considered false advertising because an influencer’s endorsement message should have an apparent and understandable relationship with the brand and | + | ===Identities on Social Media=== |
| − | </ref> According to the Federal Trade | + | One of the primary ethical implications of digital marketing is the misrepresentation of identities on social media. Social media influencers and other online employees have marketed a company’s products or services on social media without disclosing their involvement with them. <ref> Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c. </ref> This is considered false advertising because an influencer’s endorsement message should have an apparent and understandable relationship with the brand and its product. For example, when the Kardashians were marketing [https://www.sugarbearhair.com/pages/about-us SugarBearHair] products on Instagram they violated several FTC guidelines by not disclosing that they were being paid to endorse the product. <ref> Maheshwari, S. (2016, August 30). Endorsed on Instagram by a Kardashian, but is it love or just an ad? Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/business/media/instagram-ads-marketing-kardashian.html |
| + | </ref> According to the Federal Trade Commission, if a sponsor is not acknowledging the true intentions behind a certain product advertisement, then they are misleading the consumer. The misjudgment of the product would not allow the consumer to make the best incentive for the decision to buy. Therefore, the company and who they pay to digitally market their items (or services) is responsible for false advertising practices and needs to be held accountable. | ||
| − | + | [[File:New.jpg|350px|thumbnail|left|https://99designs.com/blog/marketing-advertising/what-is-digital-marketing/]] | |
| − | + | ===Consent=== | |
| + | The other major ethical implication is the consent of the user whether it be through email or some other medium to be contacted. In fact, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Trade_Commission Federal Trade Commission] has also set guidelines with regards to contacting the consumers. These guidelines include but are not limited to unsubscribing when requested, identifying the emails as an advertisement, not using deceptive subject lines, and letting the consumers know how to unsubscribe from the emails<ref>“CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business.” Federal Trade Commission, 15 Jan. 2021, www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business. </ref> or whatever other medium is used for advertising. These guidelines are intended for the consumers to be protected from the digital marketers, but these can help the marketers in terms of building trust between the consumer and the marketer. | ||
| − | == | + | ===Privacy Rights=== |
Another important ethical implication of digital marketing is the presence or absence of privacy rights. For instance, “One parallel is the expectation of privacy associated with sending a sealed letter versus a postcard where the message is open to be read by all who handle it. Courts have ruled that there is a limited expectation of privacy in some e-mails29 and that an e-mail message, like a letter, cannot be afforded a reasonable expectation of privacy once that message is received<ref>Cain, Jeff, and Joseph L Fink. “Legal and Ethical Issues Regarding Social Media and Pharmacy Education.” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 15 Dec. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058471/. </ref>.” | Another important ethical implication of digital marketing is the presence or absence of privacy rights. For instance, “One parallel is the expectation of privacy associated with sending a sealed letter versus a postcard where the message is open to be read by all who handle it. Courts have ruled that there is a limited expectation of privacy in some e-mails29 and that an e-mail message, like a letter, cannot be afforded a reasonable expectation of privacy once that message is received<ref>Cain, Jeff, and Joseph L Fink. “Legal and Ethical Issues Regarding Social Media and Pharmacy Education.” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 15 Dec. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058471/. </ref>.” | ||
==Conclusion== | ==Conclusion== | ||
Due to the ever-changing world of technology, we are living in today, it has become vital that we are able to distinguish between marketing that is ethical and marketing that is unethical. The reason behind investing time in learning about these issues is that awareness is the first part of solving a problem. For instance, if people aren’t even aware that how their privacy rights are being infringed upon through social media or digital marketing, how will they ever be able to decide what needs to be done as a result. Therefore, learning about digital technology can benefit us in terms of not only providing us with tools to ward off unethical advertisements but also providing us with tools to understand how the digital world works. | Due to the ever-changing world of technology, we are living in today, it has become vital that we are able to distinguish between marketing that is ethical and marketing that is unethical. The reason behind investing time in learning about these issues is that awareness is the first part of solving a problem. For instance, if people aren’t even aware that how their privacy rights are being infringed upon through social media or digital marketing, how will they ever be able to decide what needs to be done as a result. Therefore, learning about digital technology can benefit us in terms of not only providing us with tools to ward off unethical advertisements but also providing us with tools to understand how the digital world works. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 21:58, 18 March 2021
Digital marketing is defined as the application of digital media, data, and technology, along with traditional communication techniques for marketing.[1] In 2020, U.S. consumers spent $861.12 billion dollars buying items online and the U.S. eCommerce grew forty-four percent. [2] The covid-19 pandemic has altered online shopping habits and shifted society towards more digital dependence. Companies such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart have picked up on these trends and they are transforming their online retail and improving their digital marketing. Currently, more companies are starting to realize that if they are “not findable on the web” they will not be able to reach the modern consumer. [3]
People are starting to prefer shopping online rather than shopping in person for several reasons. Not only is online shopping more convenient, but there tend to be better comparison prices and less expenses involved. [4] Consumers also appreciate the privacy and discreteness of eCommerce shopping. Digital marketing tactics play on these shifting habits and have become much more than simple Facebook ads and disposable corporation emails. Today, there are many types of digital marketing including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-per-Click (PPC), Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, and Mobile Marketing [5]. Even though these are different mechanisms of marketing, all of these platforms want traffic to their website to pay the bills of the digital marketers. The shift to online shopping has led companies to exploit consumers by selling their personal information in exchange for them falling for their digital marketing techniques and shopping comfortably from their homes.
Contents
Ethical Implications
Identities on Social Media
One of the primary ethical implications of digital marketing is the misrepresentation of identities on social media. Social media influencers and other online employees have marketed a company’s products or services on social media without disclosing their involvement with them. [6] This is considered false advertising because an influencer’s endorsement message should have an apparent and understandable relationship with the brand and its product. For example, when the Kardashians were marketing SugarBearHair products on Instagram they violated several FTC guidelines by not disclosing that they were being paid to endorse the product. [7] According to the Federal Trade Commission, if a sponsor is not acknowledging the true intentions behind a certain product advertisement, then they are misleading the consumer. The misjudgment of the product would not allow the consumer to make the best incentive for the decision to buy. Therefore, the company and who they pay to digitally market their items (or services) is responsible for false advertising practices and needs to be held accountable.
Consent
The other major ethical implication is the consent of the user whether it be through email or some other medium to be contacted. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission has also set guidelines with regards to contacting the consumers. These guidelines include but are not limited to unsubscribing when requested, identifying the emails as an advertisement, not using deceptive subject lines, and letting the consumers know how to unsubscribe from the emails[8] or whatever other medium is used for advertising. These guidelines are intended for the consumers to be protected from the digital marketers, but these can help the marketers in terms of building trust between the consumer and the marketer.
Privacy Rights
Another important ethical implication of digital marketing is the presence or absence of privacy rights. For instance, “One parallel is the expectation of privacy associated with sending a sealed letter versus a postcard where the message is open to be read by all who handle it. Courts have ruled that there is a limited expectation of privacy in some e-mails29 and that an e-mail message, like a letter, cannot be afforded a reasonable expectation of privacy once that message is received[9].”
Conclusion
Due to the ever-changing world of technology, we are living in today, it has become vital that we are able to distinguish between marketing that is ethical and marketing that is unethical. The reason behind investing time in learning about these issues is that awareness is the first part of solving a problem. For instance, if people aren’t even aware that how their privacy rights are being infringed upon through social media or digital marketing, how will they ever be able to decide what needs to be done as a result. Therefore, learning about digital technology can benefit us in terms of not only providing us with tools to ward off unethical advertisements but also providing us with tools to understand how the digital world works.
References
- ↑ Chaffey, Dave, and Fiona Ellis-Chadwick. Digital Marketing. 7th Edition ed., Pearson, 2020, Google Books, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=-1yGDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT20&dq=digital marketing concerns&ots=XiQq4PiO60&sig=nH1YOJtaxjiNbT-g-1srVPz4xOU#v=onepage&q=digital marketing concerns&f=false.
- ↑ Fareeha Ali | Jan 29, 2., Fareeha Ali | Jan 29, 2., Don Davis | Feb 2, 2., Fareeha Ali | Oct 15, 2., & Fareeha Ali | May 28, 2. (2021, March 01). US eCommerce grew 44.0% in 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/#:~:text=Consumers%20spent%20%24861.12%20billion%20online,the%2015.1%25%20jump%20in%202019
- ↑ Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c.
- ↑ Nextopia Software Corporation Follow. (2015, February 06). Online vs. in-store eCommerce infographic. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.slideshare.net/Nextopia/online-vs-instoreecommerceinfographic
- ↑ Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c.
- ↑ Kirwan, Dennis. “Council Post: Digital Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/04/24/digital-marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=6eb52b4e1b1c.
- ↑ Maheshwari, S. (2016, August 30). Endorsed on Instagram by a Kardashian, but is it love or just an ad? Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/business/media/instagram-ads-marketing-kardashian.html
- ↑ “CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business.” Federal Trade Commission, 15 Jan. 2021, www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business.
- ↑ Cain, Jeff, and Joseph L Fink. “Legal and Ethical Issues Regarding Social Media and Pharmacy Education.” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 15 Dec. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058471/.
