Whether you're purchasing goods or services, or buying your first car, we as consumers expect honest negotiations in all aspects of our environment. Such expectations may be based on morals and values of common courtesy, but the concept goes much deeper than that. The development of consumer rights and protections in a wide range of industries and fields may be the difference between the success and failure of a business.

For example, topics involving privacy rights, safety, and product reliability are important parts of developing marketing and advertising plans.

Ethical issues surround nearly every aspect of the goal of any business: to increase stocks, backing, reputation, and most importantly, profit. While the pricing of products is an important part of sales and product placement, advertising and marketing are issues that involve a large degree of business ethics.

Consumers demand certain rights, from the expectation of honest and fair practices in the world of banking, to the warranties that cover our appliances and automobiles. We expect to be protected when signing a lease agreement or purchasing a product off a store shelf. We want to be protected against scams and rip-offs and to be able to report such behavior to the proper authorities.

Nearly every aspect of our daily lifestyles involves some sort of reliance on ethical business practices, whether we realize it or not. We expect to pay a fair price for groceries and gasoline. We expect our privacy to be respected when we visit our doctor's office, and we expect honest and fair practices from mortgage companies and financial institutions.

Our expectations have become so ingrained that many business, retailers, and suppliers have had to adapt production and advertising methods to cater to those expectations.

When it comes to advertising and marketing, adherence to basic business ethics is essential for success. Unethical methods of advertising that include deceit, outright lies, or manipulation, may threaten the reputation and success of a manufacturer, a product, or service. Unfortunately, this does not mean that deceit does not occur.

Consumers must remember there's a big difference between deceit and manipulation and persuasion. One of the most common methods of manipulation is through deceit. However, sometimes manipulation is subtler, involving some sort of psychological threat or engendering fear in someone in order to get them to do what you want them to do. Such psychological manipulation instills fear, guilt, or anxiety into some aspect of the business transaction.

This type of marketing is prevalent today, and remains one of the focal points of the practice of business ethics. For example, watch the television on any given evening, and viewers are likely to be inundated with advertisements for everything from aspirin to heart medications. Playing on a person's ignorance or lack of understanding of certain medical conditions is one way that many pharmaceutical companies encourage consumers to purchase their products.

Whether a product is toothpaste or a therapeutic heat patch, consumers are led to believe that one product is better or safer than anyone else's. Indeed, many experts believe that marketing and advertising agencies focus on target populations that are especially susceptible to such manipulation.

And what of manipulation? We all practice it to some degree in our daily lives. Playing on your son's guilt to take out the trash is a form of manipulation. Diet pills targeted toward women with less than perfect bodies is also a form of manipulation. When exactly does manipulation turn into unethical behavior?

Marketing campaigns for Brand X claim that hospitals recommended their product more than any other. However, it should be noted that Brand X, manufactured by a well known drug company, was offered to hospitals at reduced costs. Should such information be disseminated to the public? Continuing the painkiller scenario, what of the claims made by other pain killer brands? Each of these claimed fast relief. However, they all contain the same basic, active ingredient.

It is clear to see how a marketing and advertising plays a huge part in the popularity of a particular brand. However, creative and ingenious marketing executives have grown very careful about the claims they make. While marketing executives for each of the aspirin brands mentioned above did not really deceive consumers with their claims, can such practices still be considered unethical?

Consumers who are harmed by deception and purchase a product that they normally wouldn't have, based upon false advertising claims, may feel they have been manipulated by retailers and suppliers. Competitors may also lose out because of such practices. Therefore, anything that is unfair to consumers is unfair to competitors.

Laws and regulations to protect consumers from being cheated provide strong incentives against such behavior. However, advertising does contribute to the economy by providing information to consumers. While many people benefit from positive marketing and advertisements for various products or services, they also expect honesty and truth. Making a responsible choice requires reliable information.

Marketing and sales pitches that employ unethical methods or influence are severely frowned upon by most societies. Target marketing that focuses messages that play on the fears of certain groups of people walk a fine line between ethical and unethical behavior. Such marketing strategies are often hit and miss when it comes to success.

While the majority of advertising executives are careful to avoid overt exploitation and manipulation of consumers in general, it still happens. Those who are vulnerable are especially susceptible to such marketing practices. For example, people suffering from high blood pressure may be susceptible or vulnerable to advertising that claims greater health benefits may be had by using one brand of blood pressure medication over another.

Elderly people living alone are especially vulnerable to advertising that plays on their sense of security and safety. This concept is called consumer vulnerability. The vulnerable consumer generally lacks the knowledge to make an informed decision. Children and senior citizens are prime targets for this type of advertising.