Target Marketing.
We all know about finding your target market, but along the way you must ask yourself: Am I actually doing what's best for the people in my market or doing whatever it takes to get the money in my pocket? Why this came up was an article written by Samantha Gonzales on Invesp Blog titled: Emotional Targeting-Smart Marketing or Virtual Sucker Punch.
I'm not going to go rewrite the entire article here, reading it however is a good place to start reviewing your own marketing materials. Is it ethical to target your markets basic human needs to sell your product or services? Maybe. But what about when those messages you're sending tap into people's privacy or deepest fears.
I'm not here to chunk rocks, point fingers or make character judgments (unless you're a bucket head, then all bets are off!). When I target 'work at home, part-time micro business solo entrepreneurs' with my message - Tips, Techniques and Resources To Help You Grow Your Solo Enterprise - that's a marketing message that allows me to only speak on subjects they all have in common.
It's when a marketer use services like Claritas demographics, and police records to find out 'Mr. So and So' living in Bugtussle Acres, California on 123 Peanut Street has 40 registered sex offenders in his neighborhood and sends him messages that "he needs to buy XQZ burglar alarms before he gets 'got' because there are 40 registered sex offenders living on 123 Peanut Street, is when it might be a bit too much.
Here's my response to the post:
....you make very good points and your analysis leaves room for serious introspection on the part of all marketers.
As marketers, salespeople, business owners it would appear there are many who accept sleaze as the 'means justify the ends' to gaining customer loyalty.
It does beg the question: Where does manipulation begin and marketing begin? It appears there are areas which overlap and in some cases, to the extreme.
Are the marketers for 'gangsta rap' accountable to a public inundated by violence, when song lyrics are fictional events played out in real communities?
There are no easy answers, but as a business owner we are ultimately responsible for what we do or do not in getting our products out the door.
And if you have something to add, go read the full article and post your comment.
