List and describe the major social criticisms of marketing, pages 498 - 505. In your opinion, which one is the most valid and why?

Deceptive process

Marketers are sometimes accused of deceptive practices that lead consumers to believe they will get more value than they actually do, Deceptive pricing: includes practices such as falsely advertising "factory" or "wholesale" prices or a large price reduction from a phony high retail list price Deceptive promotion: includes practices such as misrepresenting the product's features or performance or luring customers to the store for a bargain that is out of stock. Deceptive packaging: includes exaggerating package contents through subtle design, using misleading labeling, or describing size in misleading terms.

Poor Service to Disadvantaged Consumers:

The American marketing system has been accused of poorly serving disadvantaged consumers. For example critics claim that the urban poor often have to shop in smaller stores that carry inferior goods and charge higher prices. - The presence of large national chain stores in low-income neighborhoods would help to keep prices down. The presence of large national chain stores in low-income neighborhoods would help to keep prices down. -- However, the critics accuse major chain retailers of redlining,drawing a red line around disadvantaged neighborhoods and avoiding placing stores there. - Clearly, better marketing systems must be built to service disadvantaged consumers. In fact, many marketers profitability target such customers with legitimate goods and services that create real values. -- In cases in which marketers do not step in to fill the void, the government likely will.

Planned Obsolescence

causing their products to become obsolete before they actually should need replacement. They accuse some producers of using materials and components that will break, wear rust,, or rot sooner than they should. - And if the products themselves don't wear out fast enough other companies are charged with perceived obsolescence-continually changing consumer concepts of acceptable styles to encourage more and earlier buying. - Marketers respond that consumers like style changes; they get tired of the old goods and want a new look i fashion. Or they want the latest high-tech innovations, even if older models still work. No one has to buy a new product, and if too few people like it, it will simply fail. - Finally, most companies do not design their products to break down earlier because they do not want to lose customers to other brands. Instead, they sell constant improvement to ensure that products will consistently meet or exceed customer expectations. - Much of the so-called planned obsolescence is the working of the competitive and technological force in a free society-forces that lead to ever-improving goods and services. Instead, buyers want the latest technological innovation. "Obsolescence isn't something companies are forcing on us. "

High prices

many critics charge that the American marketing system causes prices to be higher than they would be under more "sensible"systems. High Cost of Distribution: Intermediaries mark up prices beyond their value due to inefficiencies and unnecessary or duplicate services.As a result, distribution costs too much, and consumers pay for these excessive costs in the form of higher prices. High Advertising and Promotion Costs: Modern marketing is also accused of pushing up prices to finance heavy advertising and sales promotion Excessive Markups: Critics also charge that some companies mark up goods excessively

Shoddy, Harmful, or Unsafe Products

poor product or function. - One complaint is that, too often, products and services are not made well or do not perform well. - Second complaint concerns product safety. Product safety has been a problem for several reasons, including company indifference, increased product complexity, and poor quality control - A third complaint is that many products deliver little benefit, or may even be harmful - Most manufacturers want to produce quality goods. After all, the way a company deals with product quality and safety problems can damage or help its reputation. --Companies selling poor-quality or unsafe products risk damaging conflicts with consumer groups and regulators. - Unsafe products can result in product liability suits and large awards for damages. More fundamentally, consumers who are unhappy with a firm's products may avoid future purchases and talk other consumers into doing the same

High-Pressure Selling

salespeople are sometimes accused of high-pressure selling that persuades people to buy goods they had no thought of buying. - Salespeople are trained to deliver smooth, canned talks to entice purchases. They sell hard because sales contests promise big prizes to those who sell the most. - In most cases, marketers have little to gain from high-pressure selling. Although, such tactics may work in one-time selling situations for short-term gain, most selling involves building long-term relationships with valued customers. - High-pressure or deceptive selling can seriously damage such relationships