Misplaced marketing: Landmines and the misplaced marketing of destruction

Abstract

From a humanitarian standpoint, “antipersonnel landmines” are condemned for the indiscriminate terror they inflict on civilian populations. A functional tool of battle, landmines provide conflict between the production of a product that the military customer desires but one that does not serve the needs of humanity. Claims by component producers that they are unaware of the destination of their product demonstrates either the divorce of marketing from production or an attempt to persuade critics that ignorance allows dissociation from responsibility. Producers of components and assemblers of landmines have been named by the anti‐landmine movement. The impact of such action is likely to negatively influence the perceptions of other products produced by these companies with the results on profitability. Furthermore, the growing movement towards accountability may leave producers and assemblers at risk of litigation. It is concluded that the production of a weapon that meets the needs of the military customer but does not meet the needs of humanity is an example of misplaced marketing. Firms involved in component production or assembly are well advised to cease such operations to ensure their profitability in the future.

Citation

Stewart, P.A. (2000), "Misplaced marketing: Landmines and the misplaced marketing of destruction", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 201-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760010328932