Ethical Implications of Data Handling in Digital Marketing Campaigns

This report examines the ethical issues presented in a digital marketing case study involving Flibber and Mood. The case highlights concerns regarding the handling of customer data, specifically the potential for unethical sharing of personal information without consent, and the manipulative use of digital campaigns to influence user emotions. The analysis delves into the ethical implications of these practices, referencing utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and social contract theory to evaluate the morality of the proposed marketing strategy. The report emphasizes the importance of obtaining explicit customer consent for data sharing, and the need to avoid manipulative tactics that could exploit user vulnerabilities. Recommendations are provided to ensure ethical compliance, including informing customers about data sharing practices, respecting customer preferences regarding data privacy, and adhering to ethical frameworks in all aspects of the digital marketing campaign. The report concludes by advocating for transparency, responsible data handling, and the protection of customer rights in digital marketing initiatives.

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The issues
As per the case study, prior research conducted by the data scientists of Flibber reveals
that a range of newsfeed is capable of influencing the emotions of users in an effective manner.
The case study mentioned that the target customer oriented advertisements are way more
effective than newsfeed posts over human emotions.
The social networking site Flibber which mainly target to connect people with their
friends and family is carrying a pilot project that is integrated by nature. In a more elaborate
manner, the pilot project of Flibber is all about combining the newsfeed posts and the
advertisement featuring and delivering just-in-time products with the aim of transforming the
unhappy users into happy users.
Since Mood deals with mood enhancing natural as well as a nutritional supplement;
Flibber will help the company to detect people when they suffer from unhappiness. In order to
carry out a target customer oriented digital marketing campaign Mood needs to aware of the
customer's emotional status and persuade them to buy the product. Hence, as per the requirement
the company will use some platform like Flibber through which the representatives of the
company can interact directly with a wide range of audiences and can figure out the target
audiences that is the users who are suffering from unhappiness.
As the first step in digital marketing, the company Mood will be required to give specific
data related to customer requirement. The customer data will help Flibber to understand the
unhappy users and to strategize the newsfeed and advertisements for those particular customers.
The data will cover the details of personal email ID, contact number, complete address with

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postal code and date of birth, age and gender. Therefore the two ethical issues are regarding
unethical hand over of customers’ information and the manipulative digital campaign.
The ethical analysis
From the marketing campaign, it can be seen that the primary ethical issue will be
regarding the handing over of the personal details of the customers with prior consent from
them. In the entire proposed digital marketing strategy, there was no mention of ethical hand
over of personal information of the customers with prior permission from the customers' end
(Goel, 2014). There are high chances that in case the details are in wrong hands and are misused.
For example cyberbullying can be occurred if personal email id is hacked. Thus ethical concern
in terms of customer data transferring has not been addressed. In the meantime, another ethical
issue of the entire digital marketing strategy is that there can be a high chance that Flibber
can manipulate the emotion of the target customers of the company, Mood for the sale of
their product (Hill, 2014). For instance, the just in time products like newsfeed post can be
contained such contents which can manipulate the users to buy or use the supplements which are
entirely undesirable for making a profit.
From the above analysis, it can be seen that the primary ethical concern is sharing the
personal details of customers with Fribble without the customers' consent. Thus, in order to
begin the elaboration, the issue will be discussed in relation to the theory of utilitarianism. The
utilitarianism generally refers to the idea or connects of ethics that supports morally right
something. The utilitarianism crucially encourages the benefit generation for more substantial
interest. Thus, this normative theory checks whether a particular activity is right or wrong, more
than that whether it is moral or immoral. Hence, the identified ethical issue is crucially severe

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according to the theory of utilitarianism the data transferring without the customers are morally
wrong. As the issue has come in the highlight, it needs to be assured all the implications of
utilitarianism strictly adhere before the digital marketing campaigns are held.
On the other hand, it has also been identified that the proposal did not fulfill the norms of
deontological theory. The theory of deontological ethics gives particular emphasis on the
connection between the concept of responsibility and duty. In accordance with the approach of
deontology, an action is regarded as morally right due to the characteristical aspects not because
of the favorable or good outcome of the result. Thus, in order to relate the issue of a digital
marketing campaign, it can be seen that the characteristics of the action of transferring the data
sheet of customers’ contact and personal details are highly wrong on the grounds of morality.
The concept of deontological morals gives extraordinary accentuation on the association within
the idea of obligation. As per the theory of deontology, an activity is viewed as morally ideal due
to the characteristical perspectives not as a result of the great or great result of the outcome. In
this manner, with the end goal to relate the issue of the digital showcasing campaign, it very well
may be seen that the characteristics of the activity of transferring the information sheet of clients'
contact and individual points of interest are profoundly wrong on the grounds of moral quality.
The other theory is social contract theory which alludes to the philosophy of social
relation. For instance, an individual’s moral obligation is based on the contract or agreement
between the individual and society. Since it is the responsibility and duty of the company Mood
to secure the details of its customers, it requires gaining consent or imposing certain limitations
over the access of the data. The other social constriction theory is an implicit understanding
hypothesis which implies the logic of social connection. For example, a person's ethical
commitment depends on the agreement or understanding between the individual and the general

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public. Since it is the obligation and obligation of the organization Mood to anchor the points of
interest of its clients, it requires picking up assent or forcing certain constraints over the entrance
of the information.
Recommendations
Thus, in order to recommend, it can be satiated that as the issue has come in the highlight,
it needs to be assured all the implications of utilitarianism strictly adheres before the digital
marketing campaigns are held. Every single customer should be informed about the need for the
sharing of customer’s data with other company. In case any of the customers raises concern
regarding non-sharing of their details, the initial action would refrain from sharing the
information, and the make them realize by elaborating the entire thing so that they will be
convinced for the data transfer. As it is the responsibility and duty of the company Mood to
secure the details of its customers, it requires gaining consent or imposing certain limitations
over the access of the data. If some of the customers agree with sharing of personal information
in a partial manner, the same should be followed keeping the ethical aspects in mind.
In respect to that, it should be guaranteed each of the aspects of the two other theories of
deontology and social construction is entirely followed before the computerized promoting
efforts are held. Every client ought to be educated about the need for the sharing of client's
information with other organization. On the off chance that any of the clients raises concern
decline to not to share their points of interest, the underlying activity would avoid sharing the
data and the influence them to acknowledge by expounding the whole thing with the goal that
they will be persuaded for the information exchange. As it can be obligations for the organization
Mood to anchor the points of interest of its clients, it requires acquiring prior permission or

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forcing certain restrictions over the unethical exchange of the information. If some of the clients
come up with sharing of individual data with limitations and terms and conditions, the equivalent
ought to be pursued remembering the moral perspectives.

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References
Goel, V. (2014). How Facebook sold you krill oil. New York Times. Retrieved from
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/docview/1550635045/fulltext/
FB8BA03FB8914941PQ/1?accountid=14580
Hill, K. (2014). Facebook manipulated 689,003 users’ emotions for science. Forbes.com.
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