Ethical ReflEction Report
Ethics of Perceptual Proximity

Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Dilemma 2
Perceptual Proximity 2
Marketing Theory 3
Ethics Theory 5
Recommendations 6
References 7

1. Introduction:
Marketing Manager of a company came up with a new television commercial for newly developed soy-based baby formula. Basically the commercial takes place in a hospital with a female pediatrician promoting that cow’s milk is not suitable for babies under six months old. Once female doctors leave the screen an actor appears with a baby talking about the benefits of soy-milk formula has done for her baby
2. Dilemma
The advertising campaign highlights some benefits of soy based formula, potentially indirectly overshadowing the health benefits of breast feeding. Should the advertising be continued without information about the negatives?
Are there any issues in marketing to mothers of infants less than 1 year old?
Information presented in the commercial benefiting soy-milk formula. Is soy-milk better than cow milk? Is not that misleading information?
3. Perceptual proximity
Gestalt Principle.
This principle Informs us that objects/ images that are close together appear to be grouped together - in our project the paediatrician and the mother are the concepts being grouped together

4. Marketing Theory
4.1 Selling Philosophy
Selling philosophy is based on the Idea that consumers will not buy enough of the company’s products unless it under takes a large scale selling and promotion effort. In this example, the Soy-based formula is using pull advertising to directly target potential consumers who would demand stock at suppliers.
4.2 Message Execution
The advert uses a medical professional to show that this brand is scientifically superior to other brands; in this case other brands consist of other formulas and breast milk.
4.3 Marketing Segmentation
The target for this product is young parents. Particularly young mothers, potentially first time mothers who are uneducated in matters of maternal health.
4.4 Societal marketing philosophy
This philosophy outlines the organisations goals, in relevance to needs and wants of the target market, keeping in mind desired satisfaction, and improvement of consumer’s well-being, when compared to competitors. The message is the decisive element of a marketing campaign, the creativeness of the advertising message usually decide the final outcome of the advertising despite of the size of budget which a firm spent for their campaign (Kotler 2013, pp.473-80). In the relation with media selection, a message could be created before or after choosing the media types depending on the advertising objectives, budgets or firm’s abilities.
According to Kotler (2012,pp.459-469), the media selection is identified as below:

Based on the figure for reach, frequency an impact goals, the company will decide on the types, vehicles and timing of the media.
4.5 Advertising Strategy
As a part of communication activities, advertising is a very conventional method to deliver organization’s product, name or image to target customer. Advertising is used widely by many organization, from business firms to sell their product or not-for-profit and even government to promote their causes to target publics (Kotler 2013, pp.473-80).
According to Kotler (2013, pp.473-80) The advertising strategy is the strategy which an organization uses to achieve its advertising objective, it contains two main factors: advertising message and advertising media selection.
The message is the decisive element of a marketing campaign, the creativeness of the advertising message usually decide the final outcome of the advertising despite of the size of budget which a firm spent for their campaign (Kotler 2013, pp.473-80). In the relation with media selection, a message could be created before or after choosing the media types depending on the advertising objectives, budgets or firm’s abilities.
According to Kotler (2012,pp.459-469),