7-2 Discussion Board Ethical and Legal Considerations
After reading about the strategies discussed in Kaikati's article about stealth marketing, I
think the most unethical strategy is when it comes to the brand pushers. Brand pushers are hired
actors that make people believe that a person they are interacting with is a real experience. It
seems unethical to set someone up to not know they are being directly targeted for marketing and
profits. "These actors must come off as genuine by being personable, approachable, and
attractive, but not too attractive to be believable. Their main task is to act nice and slide the brand
under the prospect's nose." (Kaikati). It makes me wonder if it has ever happened to me, or
influenced anything that I have purchased before based on someone else's opinion on the product
or service. I also find it unethical because they purposely make the brand pusher to look like any
ordinary person, but the motives are secretive. "The music industry also uses clandestine
marketing initiatives by planting hip-looking guys as "fake shoppers" in a music store where
they chat about a great new artist in the presence of unsuspecting store customers." (Kaikati) By
placing secret shoppers like this any nearby consumer could take what the brand has paid the
actor to say and go with it just because they think an average person like them also likes the
product. At least other types of marketing the target audience is aware of what is going on and
not just giving into an actor's word for the product or service. In my opinion, brand pushers trick
people into buying things.
References
Kaikati, A. M., & Kaikati, J. G. (2004). Stealth Marketing: HOW TO REACH CONSUMERS
SURREPTITIOUSLY. California Management Review, 46(4), 6-22