Marketing to Women: Do Honesty and Ethics Matter?

On this most august day of political celebration, the presidential inauguration, I thought it only right that we look at how Americans rate the honesty and ethical standards of a variety of occupations including members of Congress.  So as you can see in this recent Gallup poll results, only car salesmen rank lower than members of Congress.  Senators fare a little bit better.  Too bad Gallup didn’t ask about POTUS.

For marketing folks reading this post, do not get too excited.   You will notice that advertising practitioners are better than members of Congress but third from the last in the list of professions.  That’s a fact that will impress your mother.

While these results are intended to measure the perceptions of ethics of these professions, the low scores tell us a lot about the low esteem and reputation these professions have among the public.  For marketing and advertising professionals, the facts send a clear message about the importance of honesty and transparency in marketing and advertising.

And for those marketing healthcare to women, you need to take note that Nurses score higher than Pharmacists or Doctors.  The honesty ratings of all of these medical professions are at the highest levels in Gallup’s history.  Nurses typically have a relationship with consumers and are seen as trustworthy by consumers.