As a practitioner and student of ethical marketing, I have been asked by a few businesses whether or not it is ethical to continue to do marketing and sell their stuff in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

I want to share my thoughts with you, but not before a few caveats.

I don’t have the answers. I have opinions which I’ll share with you to help inform your own thinking.
Like you, I’m still figuring it out (it being ethical marketing and how to respond as a small business owner in a global crisis).
Please share your thoughts with me. Even (or rather, especially) if they are different to mine or critical of my ideas. This is how we learn.

If you want to find out about ways to help Ukraine and ways to take care of your own wellbeing while dealing with worry about the war, read Sunday’s edition of my newsletter: Not marketing as usual.

If you want to find out more about ethical marketing, check out The Ethical Move (I’m part of the team).

With all that out of the way, here are some things I’ve been mulling over.

The fence of a construction site in Kiev as screen of Ukrainian patriotism. — Photo by Tina Hartung on Unsplash

People have always suffered while you were doing marketing

Not as a direct result of your marketing, hopefully! But while you were sharing memes and posting testimonials, there were wars in Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Ethiopia - the list goes on.

So while what is happening in Ukraine is devastating, it is worth considering why you are asking this question - whether or not you should do marketing when there’s war - now.

If, like me, you are a white person living in a safe country, it’s likely what’s happening in Ukraine is affecting you - and your judgement - more because it feels like it is happening to people “like us”.

So to say “now is not the time to do marketing” may suggest that what is happening to mainly white people in Ukraine is somehow more deserving of dramatic action.

This may not apply to you at all, for example if your audience is based in Ukraine. In this case, now really isn’t the time to do marketing.

“Now isn’t the time to do marketing”

I read about a man on LinkedIn who posted a bit of a rant about how we should stop selling while all this is going on.

He didn’t offer to pay anyone’s mortgage or do a grocery shop if we follow his instructions.

His comments - which I must add I didn’t see for myself - smack of two things: privilege and arrogance.

Privilege to assume that anyone can just stop doing what they need to do to put food on the table, and arrogance to tell others how to respond to a crisis.

If people who care about the state of the world stop earning money, who is going to donate money or take in refugees or have enough time to volunteer?

Just tell me: should I do marketing when there’s war?

Sorry, I can’t give a blanket “sure, go for it” or “absolutely not”. Like geopolitics and warfare, things are nuanced.

It really depends on your business and the type of marketing you usually do. If your marketing is usually ethical, respectful, transparent and honest, then by all means, keep doing your amazing work.

Here are a few things I would say you should avoid when marketing in times like these.

Any marketing aimed at people in Ukraine (they have enough to worry about)
Marketing disguised as do-goodery. By all means donate and support, but don’t make it about you.
Nothing click-baity in your marketing. Don’t share photos to pull traffic.
Think twice about changing profile pics to the Ukrainian flag or using blue and yellow frames on social media. Practical and financial support are what is needed most right now, not armchair gestures that are performed with the click of a button.
Seriously consider your ads. Think about content, tone and placement. Look how wrong CNN/Applebee’s got it last week.

A purposeful approach to ethical marketing in a global crisis

READ: Why? The question that will change your business

There’s no blueprint for this. I can’t give you a formula that will work for every business reading this blog. But you’ll find your ‘how’ when you go back to your ‘why’.

What’s your purpose, and the values that stem from it? How do you live these principles in your business and life?

If you remain true to those, you’re unlikely to go far wrong with your marketing.

And if your values can be clearly communicated, trust in your business goes up - even when everything else is so uncertain.

Read the room

What do your most loyal buyers and audience members expect from you?

Unless you’re a news provider, they don’t need constant updates from you about what is happening.

What they may need is a break from all the bad news, or a stress-free shopping experience, or a safe community space to share how they feel.

They may feel worried about the future, so the thought of booking a luxury holiday in the future might be jarring.

They may feel like spending money on fun things is frivolous, so won’t appreciate your lighthearted marketing.

Figure out where they are at and meet them there, so you can give them what they need from you right now.

Deeds not words

By all means show your solidarity. But please back it up with action. Not because it will make you look good or because the shareholders will like it or it would be bad PR if you don’t. Do it because it’s the right thing to do.

Then communicate it so people understand, not so people applaud.

Go easy on yourself

Practising ethical marketing can be hard - or rather it is for me. I find myself constantly second guessing decisions, changing my mind and dithering as I try to find the “best” way forward.

Throw into the mix threats of a world war and anxiety can cause us to not take any action at all.

My best advice is to cut yourself some slack. Let me be the one to remind you that the world needs your light - that may be in the things you sell, the services you provide, the things you share on social media. And your light can’t shine if you are depleted.

So go gently on yourself. Here are a few things that work for me.

1. Limit your news consumption. Stick to reliable news sources & set times to check these. Absolutely no doom scrolling. Consider avoiding photos and video footage, and reading articles/summaries instead.

2. Talk to someone you trust about your worries. Journaling can also help, as it is a conversation with your intuition.

3. Do what feels good. Go outside. Take a mindful walk. Meditate. Take a bath. Play video games, Wordle, or anything else that brings you joy.

4. Remember it's OK to feel it all. You can feel both heartbroken AND hopeful. You can look forward to things AND feel guilty that you live in relative safety. (Thanks for this reminder, @theleoparduk)

A yellow background with a range of emotions in little bubbles. The headline says It's OK to be feeling every emotion right now...

5. Take care of your basic needs, like exercise, fresh air, sleep and nutritious food.

6. Focus on what you can control. Your circle of influence, the causes you choose to support, and how you take care of yourself. You're not responsible for everything.

7. Parents, follow pros who can help you help your kids manage. I love @powerthoughtsnc on Instagram.

8. Remember it’s ok to take a break. You don’t have to announce it if you don’t want to, you don’t need to share your reasons or what you’ve learned. Switch it off if that makes you feel better.

9. Be the light. Tell your pals you love them. Cook your kids their favourite meal. Tell someone you admire that you think they're awesome. Surprise a loved one with a note or a book or a bunch of daffodils. Or do it for a stranger. The world needs your love and light.

Is it ethical to do marketing during a global crisis?