In order to
develop a greater understanding of the impact that marketing has on shaping the
values of a society we must start with a clear understanding of what marketing
is.
“Marketing: the
activity for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that
benefit its customers, organizations, stakeholders and society at large”
(Kerin).
As a creator of products and a communicator of
the value of those products marketers have a great responsibility for the way
in which the products they create and deliver shape the world that we all
share. This site will focus on marketing strategies that address the goal of
social responsibility.
Social Responsibility
is only one of the many objectives of marketing, this is important to consider
not only for conscientious consumers, but also for future marketers. When
choosing to market their product or create a product that is socially
responsible companies are also required to meet the seven remaining objectives
if they are going to succeed.
- Profit
- Sales
- Market Share
- Quality
- Customer Satisfaction
- Employee Welfare
- Social Responsibility
- Efficiency
Social responsibility
is one of many goals that a company must meet. Companies that are most
successful at meeting the objective of acting in a way that is socially
responsible are corporations that have this objective woven into their mission
statement.
Lets take a look
at a company that is socially responsible and meets a triple bottom line that
includes: price, people and the planet.
Ben and Jerry’s
has a three-part mission that includes a product mission, an economic mission
and a social mission.
On Ben and
Jerry’s Values Page
consumers and shareholders are provided with specific examples of socially
responsible actions.
We will start
with the socially responsible actions that Ben and Jerry’s follows in regards
to the first P of marketing, the product.
Ben and Jerry’s
takes pride in their products being non-GMO sourced, ethically sourced and fair
trade sourced.
Consciously
bettering the source of their products so that they coincide with their values
is one way in which Ben and Jerry’s as a company functions in a socially
responsible way. By sourcing the milk and eggs from animals that are well cared
for Ben and Jerry’s is making it clear that they take responsibility for the
ethical treatment of the people and animals involved in the production of their
product.
Ben and Jerry’s
values and actions also involve caring for the environment. In order to promote
and exhibit their concerns for the environment Ben And Jerry’s is adopting
green packaging. Ben and Jerry’s has also attached their product and their
brand to the environmental social movement.
Ben and Jerry's: Join the Climate Movement!
By creating a parallel between their mission and a social movement Ben and Jerry's is able to expand their message and values as well as those of the social movement that they support to a wider audience. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship.
Ben and Jerry’s
is also connected with the social movement towards marriage equality. The corporation showed their support for this social movement by changing the name of their ice cream "Chubby Hubby" to "Hubby Hubby" on the day that their state of origin passed a law that legalized Marriage Equality.
Through its
actions and mission it is clear that Ben and Jerry’s is a company that
exemplifies what it means to be a socially responsible company.
Works Cited
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