Ethical and lawful marketing, an overview
The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or insurance advice. The information provided in this article should not be used as a substitute for professional legal or insurance advice. If you have specific legal or insurance questions, please consult a licensed professional in your area.
Ethical SMS, email, and direct mail marketing involves using these channels to communicate with potential and current customers in a respectful and responsible manner. This includes, but is not limited to:
- obtaining consent from individuals before adding them to a marketing list
- providing an easy way to opt-out of future communications
- being transparent about the types of messages they will receive
- avoiding sending unsolicited messages or spam, and not using false or misleading subject lines
- disclosing compensation for affiliate and sponsored links or advertising
Additionally, ethical SMS, email, and direct mail marketing also includes being respectful of people's privacy by not sharing or selling their contact information without their consent, and being secure with their data by implementing necessary measures to protect it from unauthorized access or misuse.
Lastly, it is important to comply with laws and regulations such as:
- the CAN-SPAM Act for email marketing
- TCPA for SMS marketing
- DMA guidelines for Direct mail marketing
Overall, ethical SMS, email, and direct mail marketing is about building trust and long-term relationships with customers through respectful and responsible communication.
Comon marketing ethics principles and/or laws
Truth in advertising - The legal requirement that advertisements be truthful and not misleading.
Fairness in advertising - The legal requirement that advertisements be fair and not discriminate against certain groups of people.
Endorsements and testimonials - The legal requirement that endorsements and testimonials in advertisements be truthful and not misleading.
Bait-and-switch - The illegal practice of advertising a product or service at a low price to attract customers, and then switching them to a different, more expensive product or service.
False advertising - The illegal practice of making false or misleading claims about a product or service in an advertisement.
Subliminal advertising - The illegal practice of using subtle or subliminal messages in advertisements to influence the behavior of viewers.
Privacy - The legal requirement to protect the personal information of customers and not use it for unauthorized purposes.
Spamming - The illegal practice of sending unsolicited commercial emails to a large number of people.
Telemarketing - The legal requirement to follow specific rules and regulations when making sales calls to customers.
Greenwashing - The practice of making false or misleading environmental claims about a product or service in order to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.
Exploitative advertising - The practice of using manipulative or deceitful tactics to exploit vulnerable groups, such as children or the elderly, in advertising.
Cultural sensitivity - The practice of being aware of and respectful of cultural differences when creating and distributing marketing materials.