The Truth of Marketing in the Consumer's Eyes

Introduction

As a company expands its customer base it is necessary that proper marketing strategies are implemented to retain and attract new customers. Focused marketing is essential for a business to expand their market and profits. If consumers are oblivious to a company’s product then the company may not remain in business for a long period of time and future expansion will be difficult. As a business owner the responsibility to dictate who the product’s target audience and consumer population will be is inherent to this role. The business marketing staff must develop strategies to comply with the owner’s vision and guidance and tailor their marketing to that specific population. As the business owner decides to produce a product tailored to children such as toys or food, he must carefully approach this strategy to ensure the company remains within legal and ethical constraints. When marketing to children, television commercials are made to entice children to ask their parents for the item seen on television (Nicklas, et al., 2011). The company must address a child’s cognitive development, physical, and mental health to preserve the integrity of the company when marketing to children. The company must determine using relevant data and research if marketing to children will be an acceptable way to increase profit or will the company change its strategy to market to the parents given the potential effects on children the product may have.

Product Selection and Its Typical Consumer

There are several companies that produce domestic and globally distributed carbonated and sugary drinks, some of such companies are The Coca-Cola Company, Pepsi Company, and the Keurig Dr Pepper Company. These companies produce such beverages as Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Snapple, those are the most recognized well-known products these companies offer and are seen in most grocery, convenience, and retail stores. These companies tailor their product marketing to adults from 18 years of age and up except for Snapple and their juice line which markets their product to children and young teens ages 12 and up (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2019). Snapple drinks are marketed as a healthier choice of beverage when compared to the leading carbonated drinks, however; the sugar content in their juices rival those of sodas. For example, a 16-ounce Snapple Apple juice contains 47 grams of sugar (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2019) as opposed to a 12-ounce Coca-Cola can which contains 39 grams (The Coca-Cola Company, 2019). A business owner must be aware of consumer factors and trends, some factors include physical, personal, psychological, and societal. Personal characteristics contribute to a buyer’s choice in product purchasing. Age, lifestyle, and gender contribute to personal characteristics. Age helps the Snapple brand sale as it markets to customers that are over 12 years of age, they promote their drinks to all ages (except for their teas) (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2019). Most consumers for these types of drinks are pre-teens to young adults.

Consumer Purchase Decision

Company involvement when it comes to purchasing Snapple products are typically low, especially for those consumers who are loyal to the product because they love the flavor, brand, or the contributions the company makes to society. Consumers that are loyal customers would not think twice about purchasing a Snapple product because that is what they are used to and what they like. Consumers tend to show cognitive bias towards a product they like or use frequently, cognitive bias as explained by Jimenez and Pulos lets the consumer enter a discussion with their minds already made up (Jimenez and Pulos, n.d.). Regardless of the facts presented to these consumers they will continue to refuse these data and continue to make purchases on products they like. A wary consumer purchasing Snapple products will tend to continue using this product because they like it and they do not want change even if it known that high sugar content in drinks leads to health risks and problems. These types of consumers exhibit confirmation bias which is a tendency to ignore information presented prior to making a purchase (Jimenez and Pulos, n.d.). In this case, the company can develop a marketing strategy geared towards these consumers as they make up the loyal consumer population. However, if Snapple offers their product to children as it is a juice, then these children become wary consumers because they do not have yet developed full cognitive skills.

The contractual view of a consumer when purchasing a Snapple juice or carbonated drink may require the product to provide more than just instant gratification when consumed, for example associated health benefits. A contracting consumer sees these purchases as more than just an exchange of money for services or products (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 555, 2012). The contracting consumer has the freedom of choice as to whether they want to purchase a product or not, they are also informed about the product and its potential side effects or risks if used, and they require for both parties to have the obligation to tell the truth about their purchase and product sold (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 556, 2012). In the Snapple scenario the company provides relevant information about their juices and their nutritional values and ingredients (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2019). Knowing that Snapple juice is advertised as “Made From The Best Stuff On Earth” their slogan implies that their product is health conscious and geared towards a healthier lifestyle (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2019) therefore the consumer is getting more than just a juice, they are getting a healthy product.

In the protected consumer conception, there is a level of responsibility that is inherent to the company providing products or services to protect itself and their clients. These levels of protection include manufacturer liability and government safety regulations (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 558, 2012). Manufacturer liability allows the consumer to sue manufacturers for faulty products (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 556, 2012), therefore if Snapple juices are shown to cause diabetes due to a high sugar content for example, the consumer has the right to sue the Keurig Dr Pepper Company for their recent diabetes development if it is linked to the Snapple product provided. Government safety protects consumers from company damages by establishing regulations and guidelines for companies to follow and provides consumers peace of mind as they know that government agencies are ensuring companies keep the public’s safety a priority (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 559, 2012).

The renegade consumer is one who acts in the name of retributive justice and is trying to become a consumer advocate (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 561, 2012). A well-known activist and consumer advocate is Morgan Spurlock, the creator of “Super Size Me” and “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken”. Spurlock is a consumer advocate against fast food, in a recent article by Kimber Myers she reviews the second Spurlock documentary which provides an update to changes made from exposing the health risks observed from his first fast food documentary (Myers, K., 2019). Myers also explains that the second Spurlock’s documentary focuses on truth in marketing (Myers, K., 2019). A renegade consumer situation can be avoided if the company complies with regulatory laws, employs a consumer safety first strategy, and is transparent with the information about their products and ingredients utilized to produce them.

The capable consumer is the ultimate free market ideal, one who is able, informed, free, and rational (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 561, 2012). In the case of Snapple products this consumer type will bring the most success to their product and will provide a reliable customer base that can be targeted in future marketing strategies. The capable consumer will gear their purchases towards the best product available thus eliminating lesser products and competition.

Ethical Principles

Although The Dr Pepper Snapple Group says, “Except for our Mott’s sauce and juice products, which provide fruit servings as part of a balanced diet, we do not market our beverage brands in print, broadcast or online media where more than 35 percent of the primary audience is children under 12” (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2019). Snapple commercials are broadcasted during hours where small children and pre-teens programming may be seen. Exploiting the lack of cognitive development in children allows advertisers to manipulate a child’s physical and emotional health as well as the values that they hold as the child equates the food, toy, or another advertisement with their favorite television program and/or character.

In recent years, one of the biggest threats to children’s physical health is the obesity epidemic. Childhood obesity has increased by more than double in the last thirty years which has subsequently increased the potential risk factor for children to have high cholesterol or high blood pressure (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). A child that is obese has a higher chance of remaining obese as an adult (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). According to the Mothers’ Union, sixty-eight percent of parents believe that children that see advertisements can have harmful effects (Mother’s Union, 2015). Snapple drinks can be seen in some school cafeterias, restaurants, and food courts in most retail centers, this places the Keurig Dr Pepper company in a critical place as a renegade consumer may take this information and use it to damage the company if there are factual findings and results from use of their high sugar content drinks.

The Kantian theory bases a business’ decisions on what is honest and moral by not providing false claims against a product (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 172, 2012). Effectively, this theory is based on the saying that the end does not justify the means by being consistent and do good to do good and not what one can get out of the act. Providing all the information about a product upfront, the consumer can make an informed decision. By fully informing the consumer base, the company is being ethical as they are not hiding any potential ill effects of their products. In this case caveat emptor consumers, which are those consumers aware and responsible for the quality of the product purchased (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 553, 2012), are well informed on the product being purchased.

The virtue-based theory emphasizes an individual’s character when making ethical decisions. Like Kantianism, the virtue-based theory holds honesty at the forefront in addition to courage, temperance, and justice (The Business Ethics Workshop, p. 175, 2012), This theory is character-based and is focused on the person rather than the action. In a business setting there is the potential for a conflict between the employee and the business. The business is effectively its own “person” and through the mission and vision of the company determines what virtues the company has. These virtues may be different than the employee. As long as the Keurig Dr Pepper maintains its current standing on marketing to children, the Snapple beverages will continue to be sold without repercussion.

Privacy Policies

Snapple ensures private policy for those who have shared information whether that be through a website, mobile application, mobile sites, social media, or any other specialty reward programs. According to the Snapple Privacy Policy (Snapple, 2019) personal information that they collect from their consumers will remain private and they will not disclose a person’s name, username, postal address, phone number, e-mail address, payment method, or social media account (Snapple, 2019). If the consumer feels that their personal information has been compromised, they ask for the person to notify them immediately. They cannot ensure 100% safety when it comes to a consumer putting personal information over the internet or mobile applications. The company does its best to guarantee customer privacy however, it is a customer’s problem getting their personal information stolen when accessing it from an unsecured website/internet service provider.

Conclusion

The decision on whether to market products to children is one that must not be taken lightly. Although the utilitarianism theory provides a seemingly level construct of ethical thinking by offering happiness in the purchase of the product and the increased profits that come with it, this theory alone does not offer the full range of ethical practices when it comes to marketing to children. It is perfectly understandable to start off with the belief that companies are in business to make money and provide a product and service to the public that they need and/or want but additional considerations must be made to ensure that the consumers are being fully informed of the offerings. If the public is not, then the business providing the product or service can open themselves up to potential lawsuits and ultimately go out of business as they are unethical. It is at this point that the remaining theories come into play. A company must determine how they wish to be seen and what virtues they wish to embody. The company that is constantly cutting corners and underperforming will quickly get a reputation for being dishonest and therefore profits will decrease even if the product they are selling is perfect for the consumer it is being directed toward.

Today’s society is riddled with materialistic attitudes where children want what their peers have and the attitude continues through their adult years (Wilcox, et al., 2004). This creates an additional conflict between the parents and child should the parent refuse to purchase the item that the child has seen via commercial or in the hands of their friends. The reasoning for not purchasing can range from the parents own beliefs on what is appropriate for their child to lack of funds. As previously mentioned, it is unlikely that the child understands the consequences of eating unhealthy foods due to their lack of cognitive development. It is therefore up to the parents to receive that information and make the necessary decisions for their children. If left to their own devices, the children would more likely choose those seen in commercials and ads that they viewed rather than healthy choices not marketed (Wilcox, et al., 2004).

Companies must present all the facts on their products without having to be forced to do so through public policy. Advertising has been shown to have substantial influence on a child’s attitude and behavior as they look more towards the concrete product rather than the non-substantive nature of it (Wilcox, et al., 2004). Therefore, a company should focus their marketing towards the parents to persuade them as to why their product should be purchased for their child. After all, it is their money that the product will be purchased with and not the child’s. It is in this that the company must embrace the Kantian theory of ethics and do good for the sake of doing good. Children don’t understand and therefore if you market to one that does not understand they are not receiving the full benefit of making a fully informed decision. Essentially, the business must view themselves as the parent and how they would justify or how inclined they would be to purchase that product for their own child based upon the marketing strategy that they are implementing.