As digital technology develops, many fields of human life undergo significant changes including business. Large corporations and small companies need to overthink their approach to social media in order to stay competitive. Modern digital technologies offer numerous opportunities for businesses and create a number of ethical and moral issues. Media companies utilize several methods to persuade the public to buy the product and improve brand development. Social media allow companies to collect sufficient data regarding the preferences of each client (Roberts, n.d.). Moreover, technologies make quickly analyzing such data and narrowing the commercial offers to satisfy a specific fraction of the audience possible.
Another considerable technique used by media companies is turning their own clients into potential advertisement distributers. For example, a corporation may introduce a brand-related media flash mob that provokes a “word of mouth” effect (Koughan & Rushkoff, 2014). Such strategies may spread advertisements at rapid speeds significantly increasing the audience. It is also possible to achieve a similar goal by cooperating with media influencers and celebrities. Nike’s latest advertisement campaigns might serve as a prime example of “being woke” as a business strategy. Raising the issues of social justice and provoking the audience to associate their values with the company’s mission is another persuasion method (Koughan & Rushkoff, 2014). However, such methods may involve high risks, as, for instance, Pepsi commercial with Kendal Jenner did not manage to address the raised issue properly and caused public outcry.
Even though digital technologies introduce numerous marketing opportunities, they also cause several essential ethical dilemmas. The most significant issue is related to customer privacy, as although collecting and analyzing data regarding personal preferences may be beneficial, it may be a morally questionable action. Furthermore, in many cases, such data is gathered without consent, which may be not only immoral but also illegal. Therefore, it may be necessary to introduce regulations and limitations in order to prevent the excessive intervention of businesses into personal media space.
References
Koughan, F., & Rushkoff, D. (2014). Generation Like [Video file]. Public Broadcasting Service. Web.
Roberts, K. (n.d.). The new meaning of a brand. PBS Frontline. Web.