Corporate social responsibility and the ethics in advertising

Abstract

The notion of corporate social responsibility seems to gain more and more popularity as the customers’ expectations toward the role of business are changing. That is why enterprises willing to sustain or strengthen their market positions need to find ways of pleasing their customers also in this socio-environmental sphere. This has great impact on the advertising. This article tries to consider possible ways how the advertising may change and how it should adapt to the new market conditions. It also reflects on the ethical side of advertising raising a question if there really are no limits when we strive for our marketing goals. It seems that although controversial advertising may sometimes prove fruitful, it is unknown for how long customers would really like it – or when they start to rebel against the company.