NEW TRENDS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ETHICS IN MARKETING FOR EDUCATION

Abstract

It has rightly been said by Charles Darwin that “the fittest will survive”. This dictum has, time and again, been reflected world over that the physical evolution of various species; being the part of natural selection process and the sustainability in their various endeavors; are the part of dominance of the fittest. The business ecosystem in the universe, by option or by compulsion, has been witnessing the similar process of elimination, elevation, endurance & extinction; where consumer is the King. There are innumerable choices and options in offer in the market place which make the consumers selective. These choices are backed by their ever changing behavioural patterns toward a particular product / service; which might have been cherished by them for many years. This manuscript explores the impact of various factors that influence and urge the behaviour of the Customers in opting and availing educational services offered by a few newly emerged Institutions. The selection and choice once made by the customers of a particular product or service doesn’t assure any retention of the consumer with the organization. The consumer retention with and loyalty towards a service is based on various factors with ethics and values possess the dominance. The researchers, in this paper, examines various reasons of the selection of specific institution which urged by some unethical marketing practices including deceitful advertising as part of the marketing initiative by a few newly emerged chain of schools while offering vide range of courses than their traditional counterparts having decades old legacies. This manuscript explores the various practices in place pertains to the promotion of their ‘products’ called education through the most popular method of communication called advertising. The analysis made by the researchers throws lights on how could the institutions make the customers (parents and students) believe on the various facts, figures and offers through their advertisements and how come the customers got distracted due to falsified, misguided, misleading, deceitful deeds on the part of the institutions. The contemplation, on how an invisible force of ethical principles and values greatly impact the shift of changing consumer behaviour from the initial look (exaggerated information) to the final feel (real experience) of the educational services - the gap between offer and deliver. The personal values of an individual helps to nurture organizational ethics; when he becomes the part of the organization and also the same personal values and principles are foundation of the vision and mission of the organization and also cements the organizational culture. This manuscript throws some lights on the importance of value based ethical organization for sustainable growth where consistent quality of delivery, transparent relationships, and commitment found to be predominant.