Marketing and advertising activities in Australia are governed by several legislative bodies that ensure societies needs and expectations are met in regards to appropriate promotional material in our current society. Each of these bodies enforce expectations of marketing and advertising strategies and reflect societies ethical positions towards them, including those of discrimination, racism and offensive content. This is seen through legislation or ethical codes which are crucial to the satisfaction of consumers in the market. For example, the Australian Federal Government created the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 which includes Section 16 broadly discussing discriminatory advertisements in a general sense, stating, “It is unlawful for a person to publish or display, or cause or permit to be published or displayed, an advertisement or notice that indicates, or could reasonably be understood as indicating, an intention to do an act that is unlawful by reason of a provision of this Part or an act that would…”  (Racial Discrimination Act 1975). In addition to this broad governing legislation, the main industry code of Advertising in Australia is the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), which is supported by the Advertising Standard Bureau (ASB). Section 2.1 of the AANA ethical code directly addresses discrimination and vilification in advertising, declaring, “Advertising or Marketing Communication shall not portray people or depict material in a way which discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community on account of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual preference, religion, disability, mental illness or political belief” (AANA Code of Ethics, 2018). KFC’s cricket advertisement is in direct violation of AANA’s ethical industry code and breaches societies ethical standards regarding promotional material. As a result, consumers were deeply offended by the actions of KFC and ramifications of brand distrust and avoidance followed. Thus, the importance of industry codes and legislation surrounding marketing and advertising is highlighted to ensure expectations of both the brand and customer are met.

The implications of using offensive content as a brand marketing or advertising strategy can offer complicated results for business. Companies will largely receive negative feedback from consumers and can suffer significant detriments especially when creating content that is perceived by the market as racist and discriminatory. However, through the employment of controversial content the brand is able to achieve mass awareness of their product and organisation which may been viewed as a positive consequence to some industry professionals. Nonetheless, ultimately the company will likely be met with angry consumers that can severely impact business. This may be seen through, significant online backlash, damaged brand reputation and customer rapport, customer purchases and overall profits acutely decreasing, and in extreme cases, complete boycott of businesses and business activities. These risks can be detrimental to the function and success of an organisation and most brands will avoid the danger. In order to entirely avert the creation of offensive content, advertisers and marketing strategists need to consider the product and brand message and societies ethical expectations surrounding media and promotional material. This includes, deviating from concepts and ideas that although may be unintentionally offensive, can be perceived by consumers as such, with particular sensitivity to discrimination, race, hate and stereotypes. Therefore, it is crucial that industry professionals within marketing and advertising are conscious of potential consumer perceptions and have significant brand advertising awareness in order to create material that is appropriate and appealing to modern society and customer expectations, in order to avoid unnecessary implications to the business.

In conclusion, brands must create marketing and advertising material that coincides with societies values and ethical opinions regarding offensive content. In particular, discrimination, race, hate and stereotypes; in order to maintain a standard of media propaganda that is relevant to society and is safely mandated within industry codes and legislation. Ultimately, promoting positive brand-consumer interactions and ensuring the expectations of both organisations and customers in the market are met, through respect for diversity and business success.