MBA 645 Memo From Legal Team – Assignment Solution
To: Chief Marketing Officer—Global Theme Parks From: Corporate Legal Department CC: U.S. Directors of Marketing, U.S. Parks Re: Legal and Ethical Considerations in Marketing the Parks’ Reopenings Below you will find a list of considerations to take into account in the development of the marketing plans to support the reopening of our U.S. parks. We are asking you to review all plans and messaging with the legal teams at your specific parks, given that local and state statutes will vary. Broadly, these are considerations to keep top of mind as you develop your plans. Ethical considerations: We are asking you to review all plans and messaging with the legal teams at your specific parks • There are growing corporate social responsibility (CSR) trends addressing people, planet, and profit. Commonly called the triple bottom line or TBL, these trends are becoming the expected norms for businesses. • Ensure your efforts align with our company’s TBL efforts and CSR initiatives. • Ensure you engage critical stakeholder groups as required in both the marketing initiatives and communications. • We understand a significant portion of our target audience is comprised of families with young children, young adults, and teenagers. This audience is particularly sensitive to the CSR of businesses they consider supporting. Here are six unethical and illegal practices to avoid: 1. False advertising 2. Selective marketing 3. Unethical data collection 4. Stereotyping 5. Negative advertising 6. Pricing strategies (predatory pricing or “bait and switch†pricing) With consumers able to access transparent details of businesses’ operational policies and philosophies, any questionable marketing approaches are sure to come to light and must be avoided.