The marketing strategy by nestle

Case background
The aggressive marketing strategy by Nestle led to serious ethical challenge for the company especially for the Infant Formula. The ethical issues arose from the failure that arose from the product. The failure was not directly linked to the product but the society’s perception and activism. The formula relied on mixing with water which created a problem for the women especially those who cannot access clean water. The effect of the contaminated water was death of infants which was blamed on the nestle product leading to the ban of the product in the country and in parts of Europe. Several ethical questions can be raised from the marketing strategy because it focused on the use of infant formula instead of breast milk. The lobbying and activism resulting from the approach created a serious ethical challenge for the company.
Have you defined the problem accurately?
The Nestle problem was not addressed articulately because of the activism that was associated after the death of infants as a result of the consumption of the infant formula. From research it was realized that other factors contributed to the situation by increasing contamination of the infant food. However, these factors were not exhaustively handled because of the activism associated with the issues (Ghillyer 78). The problem in the case was not effectively evaluated in the process leading to the creation of ethical problem without concrete facts. The final research reveals many factors that influenced the performance of the infant formula but the damage was already done because of the social activism. The problem faced by nestle can be defined articulately as a problem of contamination and be addressed by handling all activities from production to consumption which are not addressed in the activism approach.
How did this situation occur in the first place?
This question is vital because the performance or perceived performance of the product is the main cause of the ethical problem. In order to understand the situation, the evaluation of the reasons of occurrence is vital. The situation must be evaluated to understand the cause of the problem. For instance, the nestle infant food case was aggravated by the water quality and sources of contamination in the consumption stage leading death of infants which was in turn blamed on the product. Understanding of the situation is vital because it facilitates the decision making process. The situation occurred because the formula required the addition of water. However, the quality of water was compromising leading to a serious problem for the company and the infants. Therefore, the understanding of the actual causative factors is vital because it facilitates situation analysis
Can you discuss the problem with the affected parties before you make your decision?
The involvement of the parties is vital because of the activism associated with the infant food product. In order to solve the criticism, the manager of the company must discuss the issue with all the affected parties before arriving at the problem. After conducting a comprehensive research, the company can highlight the issues that affect the performance of the product in the market. The involvement of the parties in the Nestle case will reduce negativity associated with the product and improve social perception about the product. The negativity resulting from activism can only be solved by participatory problem-solving approaches. Therefore, involvement is the second question of interest.
Works Cited
Ghillyer, Andrew. Business Ethics: A Real World Approach. Michigan: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2010. Print.