a. Was it ethical for Sami to enlist the help of friends and family to drive up the number of click-throughs to Bohlander's website? Why or why not?

No, it was not ethical for Sami to enlist the help of friends and family to artificially inflate the click-through counts. This action is considered click fraud and is unethical because it manipulates the advertising campaign's results, making it appear more successful than it actually is. It can mislead the client (Bohlander) and affect their business decisions based on false data.

Ethical Considerations:

Sami's enlistment of friends and family to artificially inflate click-through counts raises ethical concerns for several reasons:

a. Misrepresentation of Campaign Performance: Sami's actions misrepresent the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. The click-through counts are artificially inflated, making the campaign appear more successful than it actually is. This misrepresentation can lead to misguided decisions by Bohlander based on false data.

b. Deception: Click fraud is a form of deception. By generating clicks from individuals who have no genuine interest in the product or service, Sami is essentially deceiving the advertising platform and Bohlander. Deceptive practices are generally considered unethical.

c. Violation of Trust: Sami's actions violate the trust between the advertising agency (Kimland Media) and its client (Bohlander Botanicals). Clients rely on agencies to provide accurate and trustworthy data to make informed decisions. Enlisting friends and family to manipulate click data erodes that trust.

d. Impact on Legitimate Advertisers: Click fraud can also have financial implications for legitimate advertisers. It may increase the cost of advertising for genuine businesses, as advertising platforms may pass on the costs associated with click fraud to advertisers.

b.Would your answer to part (a) change if Sami's friends and family members actually made a purchase from Bohlander? Why or why not?

No, the ethical issue remains the same. While making a purchase might indicate some level of genuine interest, artificially inflating click-through counts is still unethical. It distorts the campaign's performance metrics and can lead to misleading information for the client.

c.What impact did Sami's actions have on Bohlander Botanicals?

Sami's actions could have a negative impact on Bohlander Botanicals. By artificially increasing the click-through counts without genuine interest or intent to make a purchase, the company may misinterpret the effectiveness of its advertising campaign. This could lead to incorrect decisions, such as allocating more budget to a campaign that appears to be performing well but is, in fact, based on fraudulent clicks. Ultimately, it could harm Bohlander's marketing strategy and budget allocation.

Impact on Bohlander Botanicals:

Sami's actions can have a negative impact on Bohlander Botanicals in the following ways:

a. Misallocated Resources: Bohlander may allocate more budget to the campaign, believing it to be highly effective due to the artificially inflated click-through counts. This could result in misallocated resources as the actual return on investment may not justify the increased budget.

b. False Performance Metrics: The campaign's performance metrics, such as click-through rates and conversion rates, become unreliable. Bohlander may base strategic decisions on false data, leading to ineffective marketing strategies.

c. Wasted Resources: If the friends and family members who clicked through the ads do not make actual purchases, Bohlander may invest resources in catering to these non-genuine leads, resulting in wasted time and effort.

References:

Davis C. E., & Davis E. (2020). Managerial Accounting, Enhanced eText (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN-13: 9781119577669

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Please JUSTIFY or Agree/Disagree with the writer or Answer the ABOVEin half page (SHORT NOTE). And please do mention if you are Justifying,Agreeing,Disagreeing or Answering the ABOVE.

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