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Beyond Deception: Potential Unfair Consumer Injury from Various Types of Covert Marketing

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  • Jenifer Skiba
  • Ross D. Petty
  • Les Carlson

Abstract

Although there is little agreement over the best definition or even name for covert marketing, many policymakers and commentators agree that covert marketing may deceive consumers to their detriment. This study proposes that some forms of covert marketing also impose a type of unavoidable consumer injury that we call marketer control of consumer engagement. This injury, if aggregated to be substantial, can violate legal prohibitions against unfair acts and practices. To reach this conclusion, this study first proposes a name mnemonic and then develops a typology of covert marketing practices that may deceive and also unfairly injure consumers. It concludes by discussing policy implications of this two‐ rather than one‐dimensional analysis of covert marketing.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenifer Skiba & Ross D. Petty & Les Carlson, 2019. "Beyond Deception: Potential Unfair Consumer Injury from Various Types of Covert Marketing," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 1573-1601, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jconsa:v:53:y:2019:i:4:p:1573-1601
    DOI: 10.1111/joca.12284
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    Cited by:

    1. Arora Swapan Deep, 2023. "Contemporary challenges of consumption: a Kafkaesque and critical marketing perspective," International Journal of Contemporary Management, Sciendo, vol. 59(4), pages 58-73, December.
    2. Dongmei Li & Ung T’chiang Chow & Cecilia Yin Mei Cheong, 2022. "A Critical Genre Analysis of Covert Advertising Through Short-Videos in Douyin: The Chinese Version of Tik-Tok," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, November.

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