Increased Material Consumption Will Have Long-Term Deleterious Effects

Marketers may promote materialistic values as positive in the short term, but this increased material consumption will have long-term deleterious effects. Do you believe that the responsibility for addressing this issue lies with organisations or consumers?

There are many examples of marketer’s promoting material values as positive in the short term which have led or will lead to long term deleterious effects. This essay will argue that the responsibility for addressing the potential deleterious effects of irresponsible marketing lies with consumers although in the examples examined, the point is made that consumers need to be acting on information that will have been provided to them by bodies such as consumer groups, health authorities and environmentalists. In fact there are many examples of consumer advocacy groups changing consumer buying decisions by making them aware of the long term harmful effects of products and services which in turn has led to changes in organizational policy.

In setting out the forthcoming argument I would point out that whilst it could be argued that advocacy groups are “organisations”, in the context of this essay I refer to them as informed consumers seeking to inform fellow consumers about issues, such as increased material consumption, that are damaging in the long term.

Similarly it is important to define the way we are viewing the term marketing. Very recently the American marketing association defined marketing as:   

“Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large” (Gurrieri 2015)

Within this broad definition this essay will focus on the largest group which is clearly society at large. The distinction between customers and the latter would suggest that marketers are focused on customers first and foremost. As the primary recipients of the marketers focus clearly...