Question

Ethical Delima of a Marketer

In today’s business environment, ethics are extremely important. In recent years, there have been numerous

scandals and trials that stem from a lack of ethical judgment. A brief scenario/situation in which the right thing

to do may or may not be crystal clear is given below, and you will need to decide the ethical way out of the

dilemma. The objective is to understand ethical orientation of youngsters and help reinforce the ethical

standards that marketers should uphold.

Galaxy Pharmaceuticals is the maker of several popular drugs used to treat high blood pressure and arthritis.

Over time, the company has developed a positive relationship with many of the patients who use its medications

through a quarterly newsletter that offers all the latest information on new medical research findings and general

health and fitness articles. The company has just been acquired by a group of investors who also own Soothing

Waters Hot Tubs and Spas. The marketing director for Soothing Waters would like to use Galaxie’s mailing list

for a direct-mail promotion.

Questions

1. What should Galaxy Pharmaceuticals do?

2. Do you think it is ethical to use customer information across multiple divisions of the same company?

Explain.

3. To which marketing management philosophy do you think the marketing director for Soothing

Waters subscribes? Explain.