What is Ethical Marketing? — Sharon Z Jewelry

In short, yes, but it takes commitment and a willingness to change.

Last month, I joined Ethical Move, a community of consultants, writers, marketers and more – folks who are committed to learning new ways of doing business and unlearning old behaviors.

Going against the grain of an industry that does not currently have a commitment to ethics, (outside of a patchwork of global laws) means that many of us have had to carve out our own guidelines and listen to our own moral compass.

That’s why I joined with a community of like-minded people. Shedding old behaviors is messy and hard, learning new ways of operating, ones that go against the most common marketing practices, is scary.

Marketing as an industry has a long history of using less than truthful language, of massaging the truth in order to make sales. It has a long history of being seen as deceptive and, frankly, gross.

I want to ungross the industry, if I can. And if I can’t, I want to be a part of creating something new.

That’s why I joined this community, and that’s why I took this pledge:

1. We put the person before the sale.

2. We communicate inclusively, truthfully, and clearly.

3. We take responsibility for our part in changing the marketplace

This doesn’t mean that I’ll have the hard answers, but it does mean that I am committed to making changes, to allowing space for questions, and to doing better at every turn.