Have you ever been worried that someone can see and know what you’re doing while using technology?
Not only should we be afraid of the government hacking into our phones and computer to steal data and information, but now marketers are hacking into our search history to online advertise. This is their way of grabbing our attention and hoping that we buy the product or service they are pitching. Soon our entire environment including our schools, workplace, car, places where you shop, eat and play, will play an effect in the amounts of data and information that gather to predict where and what we are doing. Erosions of privacy has been a long time coming and has many different sources. Social media platforms, websites, governments and corporations all play a role in the erosion of privacy. These are all potential hazards for the society, but most apparent problem online advertisers are doing is invading the privacy of all consumers. Online advertising has been able to follow interests of the consumer and persuade the user by product placement, ads, and remarketing. How they track consumers behavior and how they deliver more-relevant ad messages to consumers has been an ongoing secret.
I think it is rather important to give consumers control because it could lead to more open and personalized advertising, rather than installing a bunch of wasted ad blockers, remarketing, and pop ups that annoy the consumer. Being more aware of digital privacy and security is something I recommend for everyone. The common myth that someone is watching you through the camera of your laptop and being able to hear what you are saying through the mic is nothing to deny. Not trusting the security of your computer is indeed important if you want to protect your online privacy and security. Protect yourself and protect yourself from being spied on. I would rate the current model a 3 because I feel like it is definitely dangerous for the society, but also nothing too serious to have to act on right away. Yes, I think it is important for both the young and old age groups to be aware of data tracking, government hacking systems, and the technological advancements online advertising is gaining throughout the years. But being highly dangerous is something I don’t see as critical for the society to have to worry about.
Code of ethics for digital marketers:
- Know your audience: You should be able to know the target audience in which you are marketing to, their preferences, interests, and choices. It is also good to know the complete demographic and psychographic overview, so you can better market to the consumers. For example, if the audience is for the age group of 15-25 years old, then you are most likely going to market through social media, websites, and social platforms that are used frequently by that age group.
- Build awareness: Raise brand awareness so that more and more people can become aware of your brand and why it is useful for them. The first impressions you gain from your consumers, are the most important for building the reputation and outlook of the brand. Awareness also encompasses more than just your services or products, you build awareness around your logo, culture, name, or values. This becomes super important in growing your business or company because you can form persistent customers that you can always count on.
- Banner Ad Design that Catches the Eye: Create an effective display ad that invites the website visitor and grabs their attention right away. The ad should communicate to the customer why the product or service is worth being purchased and typically feature a call to action.
- Remarketing: This is an important step for digital marketers to give the visitor a second chance to become familiar of their produce/service. This is the practice of displaying ads to web users who have already visited that site. Simply targeting previous visitors is a very profitable advertising technique.
- Never Compromise On Privacy: Privacy is a very serious topic as it created more and more awareness in the internet generation. Make sure that when marketing through social media, you are not violating any privacy rules. This is also important through emailing while making sure you offer an unsubscribe option available to the users.
- Stay Consistent: Make sure that no matter how you are advertising to your audience that you stay consistent. Stick to the same value propositions, use similar calls to action, and use the same design elements such as color scheme, characters, fonts, imagery etc.
- Relate to the Product: Being able to clearly deliver and show your visitors why some product, idea, or personality is important to have is key. Mentioning your own relationship with the particular product or brand can boost your campaign and business as a whole.
- Think Before Action: Always make sure you think before making decisions, interacting with others, using social media, responding to customers or employees, and posting ads. Once you flood the internet with information, it is very complicated to edit or delete without someone seeing it. Always verify what you share before sending it out for prospects because it can lead to embarrassment and negative perception of the brand.
Citations:
Akbar, Tahir AkbarTahir, and Israyelle. “7 Fundamental Ethics of Social Media Marketing.” Business 2 Community. Accessed November 8, 2019. https://www.business2community.com/social-media/7-fundamental-ethics-social-media-marketing-01571504.
Fisher, Lauren. “Digital Marketing in Today’s Privacy-Conscious World.” eMarketer. eMarketer, July 9, 2019. https://www.emarketer.com/content/digital-marketing-in-todays-privacy-conscious-world.
Jumpsix. “Ethical Issues in Digital Marketing.” JumpSIX Marketing, July 29, 2019. https://jumpsixmarketing.com/ethical-digital-marketing-part-1-issues/.
Potter, Will, and Christopher Soghoian. “How to Protect Your Online Privacy.” TED, July 2, 2019. https://blog.ed.ted.com/2017/01/24/how-to-protect-your-online-privacy/.
Steimer, Sarah. “The Murky Ethics of Data Gathering in a Post-Cambridge Analytica World.” American Marketing Association, January 5, 2018. https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/the-murky-ethics-of-data-gathering-in-a-post-cambridge-analytica-world/.
Taylor, Kenneth. “The End of Privacy.” Philosophy Talk. Accessed November 8, 2019. https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/end-privacy.
