Topic > Marketing Ethics Case Study - 949

Companies like Victorian Bitter create controversial advertisements aimed at their primary market; avid alcohol drinkers while the remaining part of consumers is prone to being offended. In the case of the Victorian Bitter, a phrase was used that was insensitive to the health implications of alcohol: “I wish I could trade my heart for a liver. Then I could drink more and worry less. (Wells, 2013) Victorian Bitter's attempt to encourage loyal customers to buy more alcohol failed to consider the damage that alcohol caused to much of the market share and pushed the boundaries of what is socially acceptable. Victorian Bitter exercised its right to produce creative advertisements in an effort to increase sales and profitability. However, such advertisements are considered unethical as the message encourages irresponsible behavior; which is not in the company's interest, thus failing to attract new customers due to the company's reputation being damaged by negative media