Case Study #3 - Curro schools’ racially insensitive marketing campaign

Question

Curro recently came under scrutiny over the images posted on its social media pages depicting the Curro primary school pupils' career day event. The images showed a black child posing as a cashier, while white children posed as professionals or buyers. The school however claims that they received the consent of the parents before the images were used. Was the Curro marketing team ethical in their creation of this campaign?
Normative Variables
In this section you will analyse the conduct of the media professionals in your case
study and evaluate it in terms of the normative ethics of the appropriate field (e.g., Press
Code for print journalist, etc.). Here you will discuss the specific duties and
expectations of the media professional(s) as they are articulated in the relevant codes
under which the professional(s) operate(s). In this section, refer to 3 policie which is offensive advertising
and/or codes that were violated and/or upheld by the professionals in the case study to
argue whether you believe the conduct of the case study to be (un)ethical.

Answer 1

To evaluate the ethical conduct of Curro schools’ marketing team regarding the racially insensitive marketing campaign, we can refer to relevant normative ethical frameworks and codes of conduct in media and advertising. Key codes and guidelines in this context include:

1. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Code of Advertising Practice - This code promotes responsible advertising by requiring that marketing communications should not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offense. Advertising should not play on the stereotypes associated with race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background, as it can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and social divisions.

2. The South African Press Code - Although this code primarily pertains to print journalism, it underscores the principles of dignity, equality, and the non-discrimination on the basis of race. It also emphasizes the necessity for sensitivity towards the dignity of individuals, particularly regarding issues of race-related representation in any capacity. This code would assert the importance of responsible reporting and representation, especially in a multi-racial context like South Africa.

3. The principles outlined in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights - These principles detail that businesses should avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities and should address such impacts when they occur. In the context of marketing, this means that organizations should respect the cultural sensitivities and dignity of all community members portrayed in their campaigns.

Ethical Analysis

Based on the above codes and guidelines, the marketing team's actions in this case can be scrutinized as follows:

• Stereotyping and Perpetuation of Social Divisions: The decision to depict a black child in a subordinate role (as a cashier) while white children are portrayed as professionals or buyers reinforces harmful racial stereotypes. This violates the ASA Code, which aims to eliminate the use of offensive stereotypes which can perpetuate inequality and social division.

• Lack of Sensitivity and Responsibility: The South African Press Code emphasizes the need for dignity and respect in representation. The marketing team’s lack of sensitivity regarding racial representation indicates a failure to uphold these ethical standards. This insensitivity can be seen as a violation of the press code principles, which assert the need for equal representation and respect for the dignity of all individuals in society.

• Responsibility to Avoid Human Rights Impacts: According to the UN Guiding Principles, the participation of children in a marketing campaign, alongside the representation of racial hierarchies, suggests a lack of due diligence on behalf of the marketing team regarding the human rights impacts of their communications. While they claim to have received parental consent, this does not absolve the team from the responsibility of ensuring that their marketing practices do not contribute to adverse societal norms or human rights violations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the conduct of the Curro marketing team in this case study can be deemed unethical based on several normative variables. They violated principles set out in key advertising and media codes that prohibit the perpetuation of racial stereotypes, lack of sensitivity to racial representation, and responsibilities towards human rights impacts. Thus, the campaign not only reflects poor ethical judgment but also harms the collective efforts aimed at fostering racial equity and respect in societal communications. The marketing campaign should have been approached with a much more ethical framework that emphasizes inclusivity, equality, and respect for all races.