Marketing Ethics: A Case Study on the Clarabel Doll and Pester Power

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Business Ethics (Case study)
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Table of Contents
1. Evaluate the concept of ‘Pester Power’, using the concept of comparing means to an end........3
2. Do you think that Melanie was justified in feeling angry about the way in which the doll was
advertised and marketed?................................................................................................................4
3. Is it ethical to market to children or to others vulnerable members of society? Justify your
answer using ethical theory.............................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6
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1. Evaluate the concept of ‘Pester Power’, using the concept of comparing means to an end.
Pester Power is a strategic marketing ability in which children put pressure on their parents for
buying them toys, products, clothes etc. It often includes those products advertised in the media.
Some companies target little kids for their products because they are easy to target and they
would convert into a loyal customer bank for them lifelong. Pester power includes children
nagging for buying them their desired products. Pester power is one of the most effective tools
for kids marketing companies (Basini & Nash, 2012). This strategy especially attacks those kids
whose parents are not able to afford them those popular toys and products. This strategy has its
own positive and negative impacts not only on the kids but also on the parents as well. It is
considered as a very powerful marketing tool, but at the same time, this strategy has a power to
brainwash kids by their marketing strategies. The Clarabel doll is advertised as a talkative doll
that can walk, talk and perform some things which are wrong information. The doll comes in a
set of four dolls; each doll performs one task. The advertisements of particular doll are providing
false information about the product and making kids crazy for toy, that's the power of pester
power tool.
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2. Do you think that Melanie was justified in feeling angry about the way in which the doll
was advertised and marketed?
Melanie was earlier a student of business degree. She studied the ‘Pester Power' in her very first
year of marketing class. She understands very well the concept of Pester Power and impacts of
this strategy. Melanie was feeling very angry about the marketing strategies of that particular
Clarabel doll which was getting very popular these days in the market. Kids of her daughter’s
age are getting crazy about that doll because of features and functions of the doll. The company
advertised the doll on each possible marketing platform including animated cartoons, morning
cartoon shows etc. The advertisement was providing false information, and it showed that one
doll could walk, talk and eat but it is a set of four dolls, and each doll can perform each activity.
This strategy targets kids and their mindsets directly and it puts an indirect emotional pressure on
the parents for buying the product to their kids. Melanie was right at her place for being angry
with the advertisement because it was providing false. This aspect will be influenced behaviour
of children further when doll not lead to perform all task. Annie, her daughter, was also bullied at
school for not having that Clarabel doll.
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3. Is it ethical to market to children or to others vulnerable members of society? Justify
your answer using ethical theory.
The advertisement for that particular doll was not appropriate according to ethics. The
advertisement was provided false information about the product. The company was offering a set
of four dolls, and each doll can perform one activity like walking, talking and eating etc. The
events are divided into each doll with each movement. The advertisement itself showed that the
doll could perform all the activities at once. This advertisement is making kids of Annie's age
crazy for buying that doll. Thus, such aspects are false and not ethical as it creates an unethical
marketing aspect towards children and other vulnerable member of society.
According to the theory of Deontology ethical theory, the morality of any action should depend
on the work whether it is right or wrong. It makes a difference in the level of virtue of that act.
The doll company was providing incorrect information about the doll for increasing the sale and
make it more popular which not consider as ethical. They are targeting little kids and their mind-
sets with false information which is not ethical at all. Deontology theory explains that Wrong
actions are not right morally especially if it is related to the younger kids. The popularity of the
doll is encouraging kids to bully other kids who can’t afford to buy that doll and bullying is a big
problem among kids all over the world (Misselbrook, 2013).
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References
 Basini, S. & Nash, C., (2012). Pester power: It's all in "the game". Young Consumers
Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers. Vol. 13. No. 3. 267-283.
 Misselbrook, D., (2013). Duty, Kant, and Deontology. British Journal of General
Practice. Vol. 63.
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