Business

Exploring Business: Pfizer Case Study BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE HERE Exploring Business: Pfizer Case Study Whether Jarvik’s credentials matter is highly relative depending on the ethical stance maintained by those criticizing Pfizer for his use as a reputable celebrity endorser. The theory of ethical relativism suggests that there is no universal, majority socially-accepted framework or doctrine that determines right versus wrong in a society. Because of this, society should be tolerant of conflicting actions and behaviors (Blackford, 2010). Pfizer scripted Jarvik’s rhetoric in this advertisement to serve as a disclaimer which explicitly stated his non-practicing doctoral credentials (Thomas, 2012). Jarvik acknowledges that he has considerable experience with heart disease (Owens, 2008). This removes liability from Pfizer and also supports his credentials to promote Lipitor without much concern over ethical judgment consequences from society and regulatory entities.
More careful selection of appropriate celebrity endorsements would be one method of improving advertising approach. Seeking celebrities that actually have used Lipitor are more in-line with regulatory framework guidance for advertisers to avoid consumer perceptions of deception. Additionally, Pfizer could reposition Lipitor under a product benefits focus, using chemists and developers as appropriate endorsers to describe product quality as well as the credentials of research and development teams.
Puffer is merely an exaggeration in an attempt to position or differentiate a product by embellishing product benefits. Deception, however, would occur when a product makes claims it cannot achieve, such as promising cures to illnesses from a vitamin marketer that are not supported by research or actual human consumption. Consumers can also contact the Federal Trade Commission to investigate allegations of blatant deception allowing for expert scrutiny and inquiry.
One well-known marketing campaign that has used puffery is Folgers Coffee. The promotional phrase, “ The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup” is simply positioning and/or differentiation tactics utilizing puffery (Boone & Kurtz, 2007). This form of puffery is designed to send the perception to consumers that the product benefits of Folgers, or psychological benefits, can be achieved through consumption.
United Egg Producers, a trade group that represents the interest of many egg manufacturers, utilized deceptive packaging strategies to gain consumer interest. The phrase “ Animal Care Certified” was used as a logo on many egg cartons to express United Egg Producer’s focus on humane treatment of egg-laying hens. The Better Business Bureau investigated allegations about this scenario and determined it was blatantly deceptive (Barrionuevo, 2005). The FTC approved a label change based on the findings after researching United Egg Producers legitimate care practices.
As a self-constructed question related to the case: What are the ethics behind advertising that blends puffery with deception? The answer to this question can be illustrated by the skin care brand Proactiv, which utilizes youth actors speaking testimonials of their renewed skin condition as a result of using this product. The before pictures used to illustrate product benefits clearly show acne problems with the paid endorsers. The after pictures, however, clearly exhibit substantial make-up placed on the faces of actors which over-emphasizes the clearing benefits of Proactiv. This is a blatant form of deception, however it seems to be widely-accepted throughout the industry for vanity-inspired products. Though it might not be illegal under regulatory frameworks, it is an unethical business practice as it misleads consumers about their expected results from using Proactiv.
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References
Berrionuevo, Alexei. (2005). Egg Producers Relent on Industry Seal, The New York Times
Online. Retrieved February 6, 2013 from
http://www. nytimes. com/2005/10/04/business/media/04adco. html? _r= 2&adxnnl= 1&adx
nnlx= 1242150761-9z8f6PubObZckQVDztsWUQ&
Blackford, Russell. (2010). Sam Harris’ The Moral Landscape, Journal of Evolution and
Technology, 21(2), pp. 53-62.
Boone, Louis & Kurtz, David. (2007). Contemporary Marketing (12th ed.). USA: Thompson
South-Western.
Owens, Ryan. (2008). Jarvik Responds to Lipitor Ad Controversy, ABC News Good Morning
America. Retrieved February 6, 2013 from
http://abcnews. go. com/GMA/OnCall/story? id= 4138702&page= 1
Thomas, Carolyn. (2012). “ I’m not a Real Doctor, but I Play One on Drug Ads”, The Ethical
Nag. Retrieved February 5, 2013 from http://ethicalnag. org/2012/06/18/robert-jarvik/