| Course | BUS 454 Ethical Decision Making for Business |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Marketing ethics analysis |
| Length | About 1,018 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Business Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUS 454 Module 6
Crunch Kids and the Word Wholesome: The Ethics of Marketing a Sweetened Bar to Children
Student Name
Business Administration Program, Aspen University
BUS 454: Ethical Decision Making for Business
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Crunch Kids and the Word Wholesome: The Ethics of Marketing a Sweetened Bar to Children
Harbor Point Foods plans to launch Crunch Kids, a chocolate chip granola bar for children ages six to eleven. Each bar contains 12 grams of added sugar, about 24% of the daily value, and 2 grams of fiber. The marketing team proposes packaging with the words "wholesome" and "made with whole grains," cartoon characters, a game on the wrapper that unlocks online content, and ads on children's streaming channels. The product manager argues the bar is no worse than competitors and that parents make the final choice. A brand manager has objected. This paper analyzes the ethics of the plan.
Target Marketing and Vulnerability
Choosing a target market is an ordinary marketing decision, but some targets raise ethical concerns. Smith and Cooper-Martin (1997) found that public concern about target marketing depended mainly on two factors: the potential harm of the product and the vulnerability of the consumers targeted. Their research showed that people judged campaigns most harshly when harmful products were aimed at vulnerable groups, and that children were among the groups considered most vulnerable. Crunch Kids is not a dangerous product, but frequent consumption of high-sugar snacks contributes to poor diets, and children are less able than adults to recognize persuasive intent.
The Word Wholesome
Claims do not need to be literally false to mislead. The FTC evaluates advertising by the net impression it creates and requires that health-related claims be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence; it also warns that qualifying information must be clear enough to correct a misleading impression (Federal Trade Commission, 2022). "Wholesome" and "made with whole grains" together suggest a healthful product. The bar does contain whole oats, but with 12 grams of added sugar, many parents would be surprised by its nutrition panel. The net impression of health is the ethical problem, even if each word can be defended in isolation.
Parents as Gatekeepers
The product manager's argument that parents decide deserves attention. Parents do buy the bars, but advertising aimed at children is designed to create requests that parents then negotiate. When packaging implies healthfulness, it also affects the parent's judgment in the store. The argument that parents protect children works only if the information given to parents is accurate and the pressure placed on children is fair.
Competitors Do It Too
That competitors sell similar bars with similar claims explains the market but does not justify the practice. Harbor Point's values statement promises honesty with customers, and its brand has been built on trust with families. Matching competitors' weakest practices would trade that trust for a short-term share gain. The course's value-based approach asks what the company's stated values require, not what the market tolerates.
The Proposed Claims Judged
The table assesses each element of the launch.
| Element | Concern | Judgment | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Wholesome" on front | Implies healthfulness | Misleading net impression | Remove |
| "Made with whole grains" | True but emphasized over sugar | Acceptable if balanced | Keep with sugar grams shown on front |
| Cartoon characters | Appeal aimed at children | Acceptable for a treat positioned honestly | Keep |
| Wrapper game unlocking online content | Collects engagement from children online | Risky; privacy and persuasion concerns | Remove |
| Ads on children's streaming | Direct persuasion of young children | Inappropriate for a high-sugar product | Shift to parent-focused media |
Product Changes
Ethics can shape the product, not only the message. The research and development team estimates that reducing added sugar to 7 grams per bar, while adding fiber from chicory root, would raise ingredient cost by about 3 cents per bar and require a taste test. A lower-sugar recipe would allow honest claims such as "less sugar than leading kids' bars," if substantiated, and would reduce the harm dimension that drives public concern.
A Revised Launch
Harbor Point should reformulate Crunch Kids to about 7 grams of added sugar, show added sugar prominently on the front of the package, drop "wholesome" and the online game, and advertise to parents through family and parenting media rather than on children's channels. The cartoon characters can remain; they signal a children's treat, which is honest. Marketing copy should describe the bar as a lunchbox snack, not a health food. Before launch, the legal and regulatory team should review every claim against the substantiation it has, and the company should keep that file in case questions arise. If the lower-sugar recipe fails taste tests, the company should launch the current bar as a treat with no health implications.
Stakeholders in the Decision
The decision affects children, parents, retailers, the sales team, whose targets assume a strong launch, and the brand manager who raised the concern. Retailers increasingly face pressure from parents and public health advocates about children's products, so an honest launch may help, not hurt, shelf placement. The brand manager's objection should be recognized as a contribution, reinforcing that raising concerns is valued. Research on behavioral ethics finds that conduct in organizations is shaped heavily by context, including how issues are framed and what leaders reward, so the way leaders respond to this objection will influence whether others speak up in future launches (Treviño et al., 2006).
Responsibilities of the Product Manager
The product manager's targets depend on a strong launch, so the revised plan may look like a loss. It is worth showing the manager the costs of the original plan: a misleading health implication invites regulatory scrutiny, complaints from parents and advocacy groups, and retailer caution. A lower-sugar recipe gives the sales team an honest story to tell buyers who increasingly ask about children's nutrition. Framing the ethical choice as a sound business choice, where it is one, helps colleagues accept it.
Conclusion
Marketing a sweetened bar to children with health-themed claims combines a product that can harm with a vulnerable audience, the pairing research shows the public judges most harshly. The words used create a misleading net impression even if each is literally true. Reformulating the bar, telling parents plainly what it contains and advertising to them rather than to young children keeps the launch honest and protects the trust on which Harbor Point's brand depends.
References
Federal Trade Commission. (2022). Health products compliance guidance. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance
Smith, N. C., & Cooper-Martin, E. (1997). Ethics and target marketing: The role of product harm and consumer vulnerability. Journal of Marketing, 61(3), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299706100301
Treviño, L. K., Weaver, G. R., & Reynolds, S. J. (2006). Behavioral ethics in organizations: A review. Journal of Management, 32(6), 951-990. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206306294258
Reading the BUS 454 Module 6 assignment instructions
Marketing and product decisions are a regular arena for the dilemmas Aspen's BUS 454 addresses, since persuasion, product design and vulnerable buyers meet there. Since the Module 6 prompt is posted in class, this example examines one launch. Describe the product and the proposed marketing precisely. Use research to explain why some targeting raises concern. Apply the standard for misleading claims, including net impression. Answer the strongest defenses of the plan fairly. Judge each element separately rather than the whole campaign at once. Consider changing the product as well as the message. Address the people inside the company whose goals are affected, and how to handle the colleague who objected.
How this BUS 454 Module 6 example is built
The paper introduces the bar's sugar and fiber and the four-part marketing plan. Smith and Cooper-Martin's finding that concern peaks when harmful products target vulnerable groups frames the analysis. The FTC's health products guidance explains net impression and substantiation, applied to wholesome and whole grains. Sections answer the parents-as-gatekeepers and competitors arguments, the second through the company's values. A five-row table judges each element and proposes changes. A reformulation to about 7 grams costing 3 cents per bar is proposed. The revised launch, a claims review, stakeholders including the objecting brand manager, research on behavioral ethics and the product manager's targets close the paper.
Where the marks sit in the BUS 454 Module 6 rubric
Marketing ethics papers earn credit for accurate framing of the concern, correct use of advertising standards, fair treatment of counterarguments and practical changes. This example uses research to show why children and sugar raise particular concern, and applies net impression rather than debating single words. It cites Smith and Cooper-Martin's Journal of Marketing study, the FTC's 2022 health products guidance and Treviño, Weaver and Reynolds's review of behavioral ethics, all in APA format. Judging each element separately allows a balanced result: some elements stay. Proposing a product change shows that ethical analysis can shape what a company makes, not only what it says. Treating the objecting brand manager's concern as a contribution also shows how leaders can encourage others to speak.
BUS 454 Module 6 help from the desk
Students often condemn all marketing to children or defend all of it. Judge each element on its own merits. Another weakness is arguing that true words cannot mislead; apply the net impression standard. Answer common defenses directly. Consider changing the product, not only the ads. Keep claims about health tied to evidence. Address colleagues whose targets depend on the launch. Respect parents' role without assuming it removes the company's responsibility. Use current guidance from regulators and cite it. If you analyze a real product, quote its packaging accurately and check its nutrition panel yourself rather than relying on news coverage. Where the regulatory position is unsettled, say so rather than overstating what the law requires.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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BUS 454 Module 6 questions, answered
What does BUS 454 Module 6 usually ask for?
Aspen's BUS 454 applies ethics to business decisions, so a paper on ethical issues in marketing or products is typical. Follow your classroom prompt.
Why is marketing to children an ethical issue?
Children are less able to recognize persuasive intent, so marketing to them, especially for products that can harm health, raises concerns about fairness and vulnerability.
Can a true statement be misleading in advertising?
Yes. Regulators look at the overall impression an ad creates, so true words combined in a way that suggests something false can still mislead.
Where can I find a free BUS 454 Module 6 sample paper?
This page shows the whole paper above, analyzing a plan to market a sweetened bar to children, with a table judging each launch element and a revised plan.
What makes target marketing unethical?
Research suggests concern is greatest when products that can cause harm are aimed at vulnerable consumers, such as children, who are less able to judge persuasive messages.