At 2pm on July 19, 2012, Mr. Ramil Cueto, a senior trainer from Executive Learning Center, gave an interesting seminar on marketing ethics.

 

Mr. Cueto began his lecture by providing background context and current challenges of marketing ethics with examples of environmental protection and illegal coal mines. Then he elaborated on corporate ethics using the following five aspects: morality, honesty and rationality, choice between public interests and the ruling party/minority interests, voice of heart, and control of desire. By quoting Mencius and Dr. Stephan Rothlin, secretary general of CIBE, Mr. Cueto explained how to understand and grasp key points of corporate ethics.

 

Then, he narrated seven steps of marketing process, which respectively are seeking potential customers, initial communication (by telephone, e-mail and face to face), confirmation, product or service presentation, problem settlement, making a bargain, and after-sale services. He insisted that selling is everyone’s business. If enterprises attach great importance to economic benefits and lack social moral awareness, there will be adverse effects on the society: The environment will be damaged, consumers’ safety and health will be injured, and social disruption and poverty will be rampant. As a result, corporations will lose business opportunities and result in thwarted credibility. Therefore, Mr. Cueto warned that each consumer should take this seriously and understand how to protect his/her legitimate rights.

 

The eight groups discussed topics of group pressure, loyalty, discrimination and fake brand. Each group gave a detailed case analysis from the aspects of situation, moral dilemma, current results and potential options. After the discussion, representatives from each group presented their summary statements on the platform. Among them, Zhang Rui from Hunan University and Yan Jiaju from University of International Business and Economics especially impressed the audience .

 

In conclusion, Mr. Cueto lectured on methods of improving ethical life, such as “giving and receiving respect.” He also illustrated the concept of “who we are” through famous remarks of Stephan R Covey. The seminar was closed with an environmental song sung by Mr. Cueto in his native dialect and a warm applause.

 

(Written by OuYang Qiuyan, from the first group of the 2012 Collegiate Corporate Social Responsibility Summer Camp)