Most people who work in the charity sector do so because, in some way or another, they want to make the world a little better.
For those of us involved in marketing, our role is to engage people with our cause and persuade them to take action (donating, volunteering, building barricades etc). So far, so simple.
The problem is that the actions we take in achieving our goals are not neutral – no action ever is. Indeed, in some cases our actions have negative repercussions that can outweigh the good they are intended to achieve.
To state ‘actions have consequences’ is not exactly ground breaking. However, in recent years numerous charity scandals have come about specifically because charity marketers and fundraisers have become so blindly goal-orientated that they have entirely neglected to take into account the consequences of their actions.
While very few charities are involved in actively (or knowingly) unethical behaviours, all of us must think more carefully about the potential wider impact of our marketing strategy and output.
If we are serious when we use the phrase “what I love about what I do is the knowledge that I am making a positive difference”, then we need to be consistently weighing up whether our intended ends justify our means.
Of course, this is not a simple question and will rarely have simple answers.
For example, if a charity successfully persuades donors to give £2 per month by using imagery that perpetuates “white saviour” myths, is this justified?
My immediate response would be that the wider negative impact of this type of campaign does not justify the use of this imagery. However, the uncomfortable truth is that these images are emotionally potent and therefore highly effective when it comes to persuading people to donate.
Sadly, this means that marketers who choose not to use such imagery are often playing catch-up.
As are those who take the time to ensure their images have alt-text so they are accessible to visually impaired people.
As are those who opt against using aggressive sales techniques.
Striking a balance between hitting targets and maintaining an ethical marketing strategy comes with serious challenges. The reality is that, taking a more ethical route will often be more time-consuming, more resource sapping and will require far more creativity.
Given these challenges, it would be significantly easier for marketing professionals to take these risks if they have the support and understanding of their senior management and board. Indeed, in an ideal world, this approach should be adopted into the wider culture and values of the organisation as a whole.
In some cases achieving this support will be easier than others. However, given the arguments, I believe that the majority of board members and senior managers will be receptive because ultimately they are (one hopes) in involved in the voluntary sector for exactly the same reason as you and I.
For more on ethical marketing strategy: