MKT 100 Introduction to Marketing

Marketing has been accused of "making people buy" as well as putting profits before social responsibility. Chapter 1 has defined the "4 Ps - persons, place, promotion and price as those factors over which companies have some controls. Chapter 3 focuses on those areas that companies can't control but can influence. Your first assignment is to evaluate many of these "uncontrollable factors" giving rational points of view on the following questions 1. Is it ethical to market products that might be harmful to consumers? For instance, cars kill over 30000 citizens a year 2. As most of you know, cigarette advertising is banned from most mass media - Why then can beer and alcohol advertisers use these venues? 3. When he was Mayor Michael Blumberg proposed a ban on any "sweet drinks" more than 16 ounces. Although it was ruled illegal by the courts, other cities (notably Mexico City and Philadelphia) have started to introduce this kind of legislation. The now mayor of New York , Bill Di Blasio, is thinking about reintroducing this proposal. Cities are taxing large drinks, cigarettes and even banning certain options such as kids' "Happy Meals" at McDonalds. Is this an intrusion into personal freedoms? How should suppliers of these products react? 4. Should gun manufacturers be allowed to advertise? 5. From the above we can deduce that the government is the biggest uncontrollable factor facing companies - how far should the government intrude on the free market choice?