For the last few
postings I have taken the side of the advertisers. I believe that much of what we have been
discussing is about ethical standards that could apply to just about any given
commercial business. Personal ethical standards,
however, are what the issue is centered around in this particular case. Boycotts and petitions, these are the kind of
things that are consumer driven. It
begins and home and ends in the boardroom.
The typical cycle we think of when referencing advertising is reversed. With that in mind, our thinking has to change
accordingly. That is why I agree most
with the statement: it is not only ethical but responsible for consumers to
organize boycotts of shows and advertisers that offend them.
To start, I must say
that I do not watch VH1, reason being that reality has never been so fake and
immoral. That just does not interest me
in the slightest and those types of televisions show glamorize many of the
things that I find vain and evil. People
are allowed to choose what programs they watch or avoid. If there are enough consumers offended by a
particular show or advertisement then I feel they should organize and present their
claims and complaints to the agencies or regulating bodies that can make a
difference. I support the boycotts
mentioned in the article and believe that it is the responsible thing to do for
people who are offended to that degree (Rose, 2012). And even if I disagreed with what they were
boycotting against, they are guaranteed certain things according to the First
Amendment of the Constitution which I stand by completely.
Companies and
consumers operate with difference ethical standards. Consumers have to look out for their
interests and despite the tenant of corporate social responsibility, companies
are usually not willing to sacrifice major profit for unorganized ethical
complaints (Do Boycotts Work?, 1992). Once there is some type of established
platform from which to launch a petition or boycott, this will garner, in the
very least, a statement and, best case scenario, initiate the requested changes
(Do Boycotts Work?, 1992).
Companies only have as
much power as the consumers yield them.
We know that understanding your audience is important. Television shows and advertisers operate
pretty much under these same conditions.
They have to appeal to the wider public or go out of business. The consumers are doing the right thing by
letting those groups know if there is a problem with what is being produced or
sponsored. In the end, if boycotts,
petitions, and other formal procedures fail, we can always just turn the
television off and stop supporting those sponsors.
References
Do Boycotts
Work? (1992, July 5). Retrieved
October 3, 2012, from The Daily Beast:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1992/07/05/do-boycotts-work.html
Rose, S. (2012, May 1). Evelyn and Chad Boycott Petition Collects
Thousands of Signatures. Retrieved October 3, 2012, from Sandra Rose:
http://sandrarose.com/2012/05/evelyn-and-chad-boycott-petition-collects-thousands-of-signatures/
Hi Kristina!
ReplyDeleteYou feel passionately about people standing up for what they believe and I looked at this subject more from my own perspective, in that I would be very reluctant to sign a petition or boycott publicly.
I do believe in the First Amendment and I applaud those who choose to take a stand, my sister would definitely be one of those people.
I just cannot say that I believe in boycotting so wholeheartedly because I am not sure that I would be there to stand along with them even if I truly believed in it. The reason for this is my work and the perceptions that may be relayed in any type of situation. I know this sounds so hypocritical, but it is important to me to ensure that my actions are in check.
On the other hand, since my husband is currently out of work, now might be an excellent time for him to take a stand if the need arises:)