Businesses need to stay ethical and honest in this age of social media. Communicating your brand’s messages and values has never been easier. But, public opinion is everything. There has been a rapid increase of awareness within audiences surrounding the ethical and social impacts of brands. Even going to the point of boycotting companies that show themselves to be problematic and dishonest. This is why it’s absolutely vital that businesses need to keep their messaging and content authentic, honest, and ethical.
Why Honesty is Important
Maintaining an honest brand allows businesses to:
Build Trust – When customers trust you, they are much more likely to choose your product. It will encourage them to recommend your brand to others and remain loyal.
Build a Good Reputation – It’s well known that it takes just one small scandal to significantly damage a brand’s reputation. We are sure you have heard of ‘cancel culture’, the phenomenon of huge public backlash when an individual or company is found to be problematic. This can result in large-scale boycotts, loss of popularity, and permanent damage to a brand’s reputation. In some cases, the scandal might be the very first thing new customers hear about your brand!
Get Ahead of The Competition – If a consumer had to choose between two brands to buy from, they’re always going to choose the one they trust or, one that they have heard good things about. If you keep your messaging honest and ethical, your brand could become the first choice for many indecisive customers.
Unethical Marketing is More Common Than You Think
Here are a few common examples of unethical and dishonest marketing:
Greenwashing – This is a big issue that a few businesses have been caught out for. In fact, a study commissioned by the European Union found that 53% of green claims on products and services make vague, misleading, or unfounded claims, and 40% have absolutely no supporting evidence. There is a huge focus on the environment right now, so audiences are much more vigilant when sniffing out companies who are making false or misleading claims about environmental impact. Stating that your brand or product is eco-friendly when it isn’t is a huge ethical problem.
Deceptive Messaging – There have been plenty of brands claiming that their products do something that they really don’t. Whilst these false claims may garner rapid attention and popularity, audiences are quick to debunk brands like this. Once the truth is out, it can be significantly harder to regain trust.
Hidden fees -There’s nothing that bothers people more than fees they weren’t expecting. Whilst it may be legal, hiding extra fees in the fine print is a one-way ticket to poor customer satisfaction. It leaves a bad taste in the mouths of your audience and future customers will most likely turn to other brands who are upfront about their costs.
We have a deep understanding of ethics and honesty at New Media Ghost. If we have worked with you, you will know that we always ensure to remain true to our core values and maintain these values across all of our interactions. Honestly and confidentially are our main concerns when managing our clients, building a marketing strategy around ethical and honest core values. Now do you understand why businesses need to stay ethical and honest?