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How Should We Market to Vulnerable Customers?
Ethics of Advertising to Vulnerable Customers
Brenkert argues that marketers owe a special responsibility to vulnerable customers. Specifically, he says that marketers should protect or avoid marketing to those who are vulnerable. A vulnerable customer is defined as someone who suffers from either a “physical”, “cognitive”, or “social” vulnerability and these vulnerabilities are out of their control and make them more susceptible to harm by others. Since marketers have more knowledge than consumers, they have a special responsibility towards their customers. This responsibility is especially significant for vulnerable customers because they are less able to protect their own interests than normal customers and therefore more susceptible to harm from marketers. Therefore, it is morally wrong to take unfair advantage of them.
Some may argue that Friedman would disagree with Brenkert. Friedman argues that “the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits.” By marketing to customers, even vulnerable ones, companies can increase their sales. Friedman believes this is moral because companies have a fiduciary relationship with stockholders. This involves trust and establishes a contract that makes managers accountable for acting in good faith to further the relationship. The means by which to do so is to increase the profits of the firm. Marketing effectively to customers to increase sales, even the vulnerable is one way in which to do so. According to this view, it may be more effective to target vulnerable consumers because it can ensure larger sales. For example, in the case of Merck marketing Vioxx to customers, the responsibility of the Merck and the marketers is to sell the product because of their fiduciary responsibility towards their stockholders. Doctors, on the other hand, are required to serve the interests of patients, so the responsibility of checking the accuracy of statements lies on them.
Others may argue that Friedman will agree with Brenkert’s assessment. Friedman does not provide businesses a blank moral check because he says that businesses are allowed to participate in profit maximization as long as they engage in open and free competition without any deception or fraud. Thus, Friedman’s argument hinges on the market working…
