Whenever we talk about the public policy on marketing it is always assumed that the discussion is about the responsibility of the government in protecting the customer's interest. But why should there be any protection of interest in this globalized world? It is important for us to realize that there are other players in this crucial discussion; the companies that market these products and the customers who buy these products.
So let us look at the public policy from three angles,
The role and the responsibility of the government under which the companies and the customers operate.
The role and the responsibility of the company that makes and markets the products. The company works under the aegis of the government
And the role and the responsibility of the customers who buy these products and who are the citizens of the country.
It is worthwhile to remember here George Washington's words who said "before we ask for our rights it is better to remember our responsibilities". And "before we ask what the country did for us better to ask what we did for our country".
The government is the first and most important player in the management of sales management. Let us examine its roles, and responsibilities
1. Level playing ground: It is very important that the government provides a level playing ground for all the concerned. It has been noticed in the past that certain companies both local and foreign are given a preferential treatment. This treatment leads to unhealthy monopolies and other unhealthy marketing practices.
2. Equal treatment for all: It is imperative that the government deals with all the companies in the same fashion. The law of the land should be same for all and should not be different for different companies.
3. Public safety: The customer's safety is of paramount importance and every government should have laws that ensure the same. No company however big should be allowed to compromise this dictum.
4. Right to redressal: Irrespective of how well the marketing system works there will always be some grievances or complaints about the system. These complaints have to be handled and handled quickly if the marketing system has to mature. Setting of consumer courts and consumer forums will go a long way in addressing this crucial issue.
5. Spurious products: Many country's economies are suffering the bane of spurious products. Spurious products are products that look like the real products and try to confuse the customer. Spurious liquors, spurious food products and other such items have killed lots of innocent people. The government needs to watch these unscrupulous practices carefully and handle them with a firm hand.
6. Fake products: fake products are products that appear to be exactly like the original products. For example Soni for SONY, Adibas for ADIDAS, Panasonice for PANASONIC etc. The government should not think that the customer's are getting cheap substitutes, the companies that have invested money on developing of these products are getting harmed by these practices. The same is the case with the music industry which according to the news is getting killed because of cheap pirated version of licensed music.
7. Control of certain products: The government has a role in controlling the sale of certain products like drugs and medicines. There are many cases in which harmful and addictive drugs were given to customers without any valid prescription from a registered medical doctor.
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