175 word 2 part week 5

Part 1.

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

Product and brand messages can sometimes have a negative effect either ethically, legally, or socially. Select a product or brand and identify an ethical, legal, or social implication a message has had. Discuss how the company handled the issue. Based on your experience from this course, is there anything you would have recommended to do differently?

Part 2.

Respond to the next two in 3 sentences.

1. The movie “Blackfish” was released not too long ago. This film focused on Orca whales that are being used for entertainment at the famous amusement park, Seaworld. After the release of the documentary and the tragic event that took place that claimed the life of a whale trainer, people were outraged. The Seaworld stock had went down 33% and attendance had significantly dropped. Animal rights activists were very vocal about the inhuman conditions these Orca whales had been facing and some tried to justify the way one particular whale had murdered its trainer by frustration from being held in a cage and not out in the open sea where they belong. The animal rights activists felt that it is unethical to keep wild whales locked inside of a zoo for the entertainment of families and demanded these whales be released. They even proposed a legislation to the state of California to study the impact captivity can have on animals that are meant to be in the wild. Seaworld’s image has been tarnished because of this incident.

The main thing Seaworld should have done differently would be to stop capturing Orca whales to begin with. We as humans enjoy the zoo and seeing animals do animal things but when it comes to lives being taken in front of consumers, that is where Seaworld should have drawn the line. After the incident, Seaworld should have stopped all whale shows not just the ones involving trainers. After the incident, I believe Seaworld attempted to set some whales free but those whales were not able to survive in the open sea due to being caged in for the majority of their lives.

2. Hi Howard and Class,

In 2010 Dannon had to pay $45 million in damages to a consumer in a lawsuit for falsely advertising scientifically proven health benefits of this Activia and Dan Active yogurt products. All the problems for this brand began when a consumer form Los Angeles, Trish Wiener filed a federal lawsuit against Dannon, stating that although this brand flaunts in television commercials, internet and print ads, its benefits to the digestive system were scientifically proven she did not acquire any changes or benefits in her digestive system, even that she buy this products with higher prices than other yogurts, she said a report to ABC News.

In the end Dannon lost the lawsuit and other sanctions were applied to them, including paying $21million to the FTC and FDA to resolve the issues and the investigations, who also urged Dannon not to use this type of false messages in their advertising campaigns.

In my opinion this is a practice that many brands exercise in their advertising campaigns, of deceit and false benefits. To begin with Dannon they never had to do that type of advertising, but they only had to demonstrate or enhance its flavors or ingredients without mentioning health and medical benefits that are difficult to backup.

This days in 2020 with the internet and social media, this issues should not exist buy still there, of false advertising, try to sale no matter what, but one thing I learn is to be honest even if is cost consumer or sales, change better the approach, offer a better product and off course educate more in the marketing fields like us in this class.