Should he conduct selling in ways that intrude on the privacy of
people, for example, by door-to-door selling . . . ? Should he use
methods involving ballyhoo, chances, prizes, hawking, and other
tactics which are at least of doubtful good taste? Should he employ
“high pressure” tactics in persuading people to buy? Should he try
to hasten the obsolescence of goods by bringing out an endless succes-
sion of new models and new styles? Should he appeal to and at-
tempt to strengthen the motives of materialism, invidious
consumption, and “keeping up with the Joneses”?
41
The most admired companies abide
by a code of serving peo-
ple’s interests, not only their own. The Reputation Institute and
Harris Interactive collect ratings by
the public on the companies
they admire the most. The top 15 in 2001 (in order) are Johnson
& Johnson, Microsoft,
Coca-Cola, Intel, 3M, Sony, Hewlett-
Packard, FedEx, Maytag, IBM, Disney, General Electric, Dell,
Procter & Gamble, and United Parcel Service (UPS). These com-
panies
are notable for their products, service levels, and corporate
philanthropy. Their reputations and
trustworthiness add to their
pocketbooks.
Marketing Ethics
107
