Marketing Cigarettes Using the Cartoon Character of Joe Camel

Case study
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Introduction
The case delves into the various ways the tobacco industry has managed to threaten the health of kids and teenagers in the United States. The companies including R. J. Reynolds utilized adverts made of Old Joe Camel cartoon that increasing attracted children, thereby leading to their smoking. Despite their vehement denial, it is clear from the statistics, experts and even the government that these companies utilized their funds deceptively and immorally to get children to begin smoking.
As the R.J.R’s marketing executive, would you have recommended for another character other than Joe Camel’s? Your move if the management insisted on using the Joe Camel’s cartoon?
As the marketing manager, I would have recommended for the use of alternative character for the company’s ads. Marketing is the most crucial aspect of attracting the right customers for a company’s products. Marketing cigarettes with the cartoon character of Joe Camel attract children and adolescents who identify with cartoon depictions thereby, making it wrong and unethical to market cigarettes to children.
In case the management overlooked my objections and utilized the Joe Camel’s cartoon, I would have opted to resign. Ethically, I believe using a cartoon to advertise cigarettes with a misguided belief that children would not attempt to smoke is not only reckless, immoral but illegal, a situation I would not want to participate.
As an employee of a pension fund with a large investment in RJR, would I think about selling my holdings in the company?
Yes, I would think about selling my assets. The decision to utilize a cartoon character of Joe Camel was likely to attract all the wrong kind of attention as there was no way the company would have justified using a cartoon character to attract customers other than children. Therefore, the choice shows poor decision on the part of management and lack of care thus, better to sever ties with the company.
Opinion on the statement, identification o...