using such as racist sayings and sexual appeal will be attractive to young people because they are too young to determine right or wrong. They are excited to absorb fresh stuff from external.
Parents of young consumers: Parents might purchase what kids like at the beginning because they have not realised this is a problem for kids’ education.
Employees of A&F: Good looking young people will get bigger chance than the normal people working for A&F. Meanwhile, as long as A&F is marketing in the controversial way they are going to gain more personal profit.
Shareholders of A&F: Shareholders are able to get more profit from A&F’s high media exposure.
Owners of A&F: Owners are capable of strengthening brand awareness.
Local community organizations: The community group like Mothers Against Drunk Driving are already protesting A&F.
Other clothing retailers: Some competitors are beaten by A&F for the moment because they are doing the marketing in a regular way.
Media: They believe that they get chance to have an exclusive news report or front page news.
(2) In the long run
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Young generation consumers of A&F: They would be leading to the wrong way in the controversial grown up environment. They probably would accept the wrong outlook of life and value then act extremely or in racist way.
Parents: For protecting their kids, the parents would not purchase A&F’s product any more. Also, it is possible that they will tell this unethical situation caused by A&F to others.
Employees: Employees are getting to un-committed. Some of them will notice the unethical problems in A&F’s marketing tactics then start to realise that they can work here only because they have good looking. They might end up quitting job from A&F.
Shareholders: The risk of backlash and damage to the firm’s brand loyalty is existed all the time.
Owners: Some leaders in A&F who have kids might feel guilty when they continue to act promotion in ways with arguments.
Local community organizations: They would fight harder against A&F for their communities and children.
Other competitors: Perhaps A&F’s competitors will get more benefits and good reputation from acting in the ethical way.
Media: Those media are going to turn their focus into digging A&F’s intention of creating these scandals.
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2.1.6 Identify the principles that may apply According to American Marketing Association Ethical Norms (Murphy, Laczniak, Bowie & Klein 2005), the most general norms that marketer should follow are: Firstly, marketers must do not harm. It implies market managers need to strictly comply with all current laws and regulations when they are making ethical marketing decision. Likewise, reifying high ethical criterion in their jobs is their obligation to contribute to the society. Secondly, marketers must foster trust in the marketing system which means goods and services that provided by organisation should be appropriate for their intended and promoted use. Thirdly, marketers should embrace, communicate and practice the fundamental ethical values which are honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, openness and citizenship.
3.0 Alternative Marketing Strategies There are couples of alternative marketing strategies that could be generated to be alternatives for the identified issues above.
3.1 Using buzz marketing in ethical manner
Referring to the background, A&F is targeting to young generation including teenage and college students. A&F could develop buzz marketing strategy in ethical ways instead of controversies.
They are able to choose colleges from local area sequentially then giving certain
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amount of same regular free T-shirts away in the chosen college in certain time. Only requirement for those students who is getting free T-shirts is that they must put on these T-shirts in the same day. This strategy would cause shake and curiosity in that chosen campus. Most students in that campus are going to talk about those same free T-shirts showing around campus today even ask the students with free T-shirts where did they get them or what is the brand of T-shirt. This topic will last for a while in campus. Also, the sales of A&F stores would be growing without a doubt, thereby A&F is capable of reaching promotion goals.
3.2 Paying more attention to on-line sale
As everyone known, on-line shopping is fast becoming a strong force to cope with in retail industry. For A&F, they might have started to operate in this B to C aspect but they still need to improve their universal firm image when dealing with this matter. Foremost, A&F should work harder on its website. For instance, on A&F’s website, there are not so much information or details about company’s history, stores, and mission which are really critical to products. Furthermore, the core idea of A&F is to offer people causal cloths for their every day demands. It is not necessary for clothing firm to put the huge photo advertisements of half nude models on their most web pages. A&F must leave more space for showing clients the products instead of good looking models. At last, it could introduce an interface in which clients can chat with company representatives across the internet (Case Study 2010).
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3.3 Controlling and repairing damages caused previously
The main issue that has generated a great deal of arguments about A&F is the fact that company’s marketing strategies are meant to create fake controversies. The company could figure out a damage control manner in which aims to fix the hiring discrimination matter. A&F needs to hold sellers select contest in public, aiming to all people in society who has the demand to work for A&F. The final people who still stay in the contest would win the work chance in flag store. It is not only good marketing promotion tactic to grapple public and media focus, but also is effective manner to fix the previous ethical problem (Laczniak & Murphy 1993).
4.0 Evaluations and Recommendations 4.1 Evaluations
(1) The first alternative is meant to create a hot topic in campus. Consequences to primary stakeholders are: Foremost, it does not harm young generation. Additionally, the parents do not need to worry about their children are misleading by negative promotion because those T-shirts are regular. Moreover, shareholders could gain fair enough profit from stock. Furthermore, owners would still receive considerable income. Finally, the employees will also get reasonable revenue but still no-committed.
(2) The second alternative is aiming to let A&F comply with clothing company’s core idea rather than putting too much time on creating controversies. The
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