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Introduction
Marketing has been at the centre of criticism for unethical activities of business ([33] Murphy and Laczniak, 1981; [54] Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989; [45] Sagar et al. , 2006). As marketing involves more consumer-centric interaction than the other functional areas, it remains in the centre for unethical practices ([14] Ferrell and Gresham, 1985; [52] Swan and Nolan, 1985; [53] Swan et al. , 1985). Marketing managers have become ethically more sensitive and they are largely convinced that trust is a fundamental expectation of the customers ([45] Sagar et al. , 2006). [51] Srnka (1997) clearly states that development of the trust is the central activity of the marketing managers. This is in resonance with the marketing theory in which all exchanges are based on trust ([27] Kotler, 2003). [29] Lee (1981) argues that conflicts are likely to result if buyer and seller have an ethical deficit. Conflicts in the exchange process create dissonance in marketing ([32] Morgan and Hunt, 1994).
Ethical compatibility is thus a central prerequisite for trust ([7] Ahmed et al. , 2003; [15] Ferrell et al. , 1989; [46] Schlegelmilch, 1998; [47] Schlegelmilch and Goetze, 1999). The behaviour of brand marketers is affected by general societal trends which include shifts in values, culture, or ideology. Brand identity and communication to a large part of society has long been regarded as an important activity ([17] Gardner and Levy, 1955; [19] Grubb and Grathwohl, 1967; [31] Moran, 1973; [40] Reynolds and Gutman, 1984; [55] White, 1959). A well-communicated identity should help establish a brand's position, insulate the brand from competition ([39] Oxenfeldt and Swann, 1964), and therefore enhance the brand's market performance ([48] Shocker and Srinivasan, 1979; [56] Wind, 1973; [45] Sagar et al. , 2006), whereas a negative brand identity can adversely affect its brand equity ([1] Aaker, 1991).
Marketing ethics has certain acceptable and non-acceptable norms which depend on the social, cultural, and demographical conditions in which events take place. It generally includes marketing and marketing norms related to marketing mix such as products claims and safety, deceptive pricing, advertising, and discrimination in distribution ([49] Smith and Quelch, 1993; [9] Brinkmann, 2002). [49] Smith and Quelch (1993), [8] Brenkert (2008), [10] Davidson (2002), [36] Murphy and Laczniak (2006) and [35] Murphy