06 Jul Read the case study below, and put yourself in Maria’s position

Read the case study below, and put yourself in Maria’s position to answer these questions: What is the ethical issue that Maria faces? Who benefits/loses if she decides to do as Hans says? What would you do if you were in her shoes? What does this decision reveal about you?Cosmetic ApplicationsTopic: Package Labeling and AdvertisingCharacters:Hans, Cosmetics Group Product Marketing ManagerMaria, Assistant Marketing Communications ManagerMaria is an Assistant Marketing Communications Manager with TruBlush Cosmetics, amanufacturer of facial cream and other skin moisturizing products. She is relatively new tothe cosmetics industry, being a recent college graduate with limited “real world” experience.As part of her orientation, however, she recently had the opportunity to spend one week withthe TruBlush marketing research group, sitting in on several focus group discussions withregular cosmetics users.Today Hans stopped Maria in the hallway and told her to coordinate the artwork on boththe new package label design and the storyboards for an upcoming advertising campaign, toreflect an increase in the recommended application of a facial cream product from one tothree applications daily. While delighted with the opportunity to finally be assignedsomething substantive where she can demonstrate what she is capable of doing, she istroubled by the directive.Maria recalls that in each of the four focus group sessions the week before, the majority ofconsumers interviewed revealed that just one application of this product “did the job.” Whilechanging the recommended usage would dearly contribute to additional sales volume, whatshe knows about the product indicates that such an increase would not significantly benefitconsumers. On the other hand, Hans is the Group Product Marketing Manager, and he makesthe decisions on promoting recent hires for this product.Author: Richard F. Belhamini, Associate Professor of Marketing and Advertising, Arizona State University.