THE INFLUENCE OF THE ETHICAL MARKETING VALUES IN THE ELECTRONIC GADGET INDUSTRY TO CONSUMER TRUST

The recent rise of deceptive marketing has underscored the importance of ethical practices, with consumers demanding transparency. In response, companies prioritize ethical marketing to build consumer trust, which, by unanimous agreement in the marketing discipline, is a crucial factor in consumer relationships. However, despite the abundance of literature, there is limited research on the influence of ethical marketing on consumer trust, especially within the electronic gadgets industry. The study aims to fill this gap by investigating how each of the six ethical marketing values outlined by the American Marketing Association, honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency, and citizenship, influence consumer trust, as perceived by the respondents. To accomplish this, the study employed a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design, with a purposive sample of 195 participants from Chiang Kai Shek College, comprising students and employees. The data was collected using a validated questionnaire, utilizing a Likert scale, and subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson's correlation coefficient, to examine the relationship between ethical marketing values and consumer trust. The findings included r-values of at least 0.78 and p-values of 0.000, which demonstrate a statistically significant influence of each ethical marketing value on consumer trust and a high positive correlation observed in general, showing that consumers perceive companies prioritising ethical marketing as more trustworthy. After further review of the statistical results and related literature and studies, the researchers concluded that each ethical marketing value significantly influences consumer trust positively, and so companies should embrace them to foster relationships and sustain success.