BY Kathy Crosett
Washington State University’s Carson College of Business recently surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults about the intersection of marketing and ethics. It’s tough enough to strike the right tone in an ad campaign. But your accounts must also be mindful of how consumers view their tactics on the scale of ethics, especially digital marketing ethics.
Are Your Accounts Ethically Using AI?
Consumers encounter some form of AI on a regular basis. They have mixed opinions about the benefits of the technology, especially when it is used in digital marketing. In this year’s AudienceSCAN, a survey produced by AdMall, 28% of U.S. adults call themselves AI Proponents. That’s a substantial increase over the 20% who said the same in 2024.
Fears About Misuse
However, 10.3% of U.S. adults are AI Detractors. Consumers voice big fears about using AI in marketing. Over 1/3 of consumers worry that AI will contribute to “privacy violations and data misuse.” And nearly half of U.S. adults have concerns about AI-generated content “being used in political campaigns.”
Researchers point out that over 40% of consumers can’t say for sure whether they’ve seen AI-generated content. But a big majority want marketers to “be transparent” when they use AI in their marketing campaigns.
This sentiment makes sense. Consumers have heard plenty about fake news in the recent past. And content about celebrities that is AI-generated has been circulating. Who can blame consumers for being confused?
To keep your accounts’ reputation secure, remind them to label all AI-generated content properly.
How Consumers Attitudes Differ by Generation
Not surprisingly, consumers who spend the most time online, especially on social media, have a higher comfort level with the use of AI in marketing. And millennials and Gen Zers believe they can spot AI-generated content. Younger consumers also claim more expertise in spotting misinformation online. But they still expect marketers to engage in digital marketing ethics.
Digitally savvy consumers reveal a more positive attitude about AI’s potential. They like the following benefits:
- Improved search results 37%
- Better customer support 32%
- Custom offers 30%
These consumers are also more open to sharing personal information in exchange for custom offers.
Use of Personal Data
Consumers view the use of their data as a double-edged sword. With the U.S. growing increasingly polarized, only 16% of consumers want marketers to have information about their political views.
But they are willing to let marketers have a peek at their personal interest and ad use history. In doing so, they believe they’ll have access to ads they want to see, and perhaps, offers from advertisers.
The Need for Transparency
The point of the university study is to highlight the need for digital marketing ethics. Consumers don’t want to have to guess whether an advertiser is telling the truth. Over 64% of consumers say marketers “should ensure the accuracy of advertising.” But only 40% believe that is happening.
How Consumers View Sponsored Content
Sponsored content is another sore spot for consumers. They want to understand when they are being advertised to. When a piece of content appears that is similar to a topic the publisher might typically cover, consumers will check it out. They don’t want to find out halfway through that they are being advertised to.
Consumers in the Washington State University survey want the sponsored content to be appropriately marked.
How to Enforce Digital Marketing Ethics
Consumers also believe businesses should be held responsible for ethical marketing. While they hope to see more government regulation on this topic, they are not counting on that to happen. They appreciate when investors and media companies call a company’s practices into question.
But this doesn’t happen often enough. Consumers support the need for other specific actions such as:
- Boycotts 57%
- Negative online reviews 48%
- Reporting companies to protection agencies 48%
As SalesFuel CEO C. Lee Smith says, “It takes years to build credibility and only a moment to lose it.” Don’t let this happen to your accounts. Remind them to establish digital marketing ethics and to update them regularly as AI technology evolves.
Image by Brett Jordan on Pexels
