Selling ‘Sin’ – Buying ‘Sin’ (Only in the Age of Consumerism)

Marketers are aware that they are promoting socially controversial products, if they are indeed doing precisely that. If this should be seen in the light of irresponsibility, then, by all means, these marketers are irresponsible and unethical in their trade. It is, therefore, imbued upon business marketing to know better and not let the bad prosper.

On the other hand, the underlying principle of business is profit. Any business is constructed on the foundation of the so-called bottom line. In the old and traditional business models, such as the ones that Milton Friedman, a stalwart figure in economics, stood for, it is generally believed that the responsibility of business is to increase its profits for the benefit of its stockholders. This is the old view of management ethics. Therefore, the marketer is beholden, first and foremost, to the corporation that he serves and that expects him to sell the product, no matter how controversial.