Corporate social responsibility, condition branding and ethics in marketing

Over the past two decades there has been increased interest in corporate responsibility (CSR) and its relation to marketing practice and theory )Maignan and Ferrell, 2004: Polonsky and Jevons, 2006). This paper explores another marketing phenomena emerging from the pharmaceutical industry: condition branding (Angelmar, Angelmar and Kane, 2007: Parry, 2003). Condition branding has been positioned as a form of CSR for the industry, in that it provides education to the general public regarding diseases or conditions. However, the ethical nature of condition branding has been questioned as it is also seen as a deliberate method of increasing markets for pharmaceutical products. This paper raises concerns of consumers and regulators regarding condition branding and disease advertising, and suggests how these practices could be better regulated or modified to reflect the principles of CSR.