The anthropological and ethical foundation of marketing starts from an essential question:  who is the person to whom marketing is directed and what should be the purpose of the economic activity?

If marketing views human beings solely as consumers, it can become a technique for influencing their decisions. If, on the other hand, it adopts a holistic view of the person, it transforms into an  instrument of service and value creation .

The person, the center of marketing

Anthropology helps us understand that the consumer is not simply a buyer, but a  person with dignity, intelligence, and freedom .

From this vision, some fundamental principles are derived:

• Dignity:  a person should never be treated as a mere means to obtain benefits.
• Freedom:  marketing should facilitate informed decisions, avoiding deception and manipulation.
• Relationship:  People seek trust and connections; marketing also builds relationships between companies, customers, and society.
• Holistic development:  human needs are not only material, but also emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual.

Authors such as Philip Kotler have broadened the concept of marketing to include the creation of value for various stakeholders. From another perspective, Gianni Manzone places people and the common good at the heart of economic activity.

The ethical dimension

Ethics answers a simple question:  how should we act?  In marketing, it’s not just about complying with the law, but about guiding decisions toward the good of people and society. This requires acting with  truthfulness, transparency, fairness, responsibility, and solidarity.

Profitability is a legitimate goal, but it should be understood as the result of having created  genuine value for people .

What does this mean for businesses?

Marketing with an anthropological and ethical foundation implies:

• offer products and services that provide a real benefit;
• communicate honestly;
• respect privacy;
• avoid manipulative practices;
• build relationships based on trust;
• assume social and environmental responsibility.

Therefore, business success should not be measured solely by sales, but also by  trust, reputation, loyalty, social impact, and sustainability .

In short

The anthropological foundation affirms that  the person must be at the center of economic activity . The ethical foundation demands respect for their dignity and freedom and orienting activity toward the common good. Thus, marketing ceases to be merely the art of  persuading to sell  and becomes the art of  understanding, serving, and creating authentic value for people .

This vision connects directly with humanistic marketing, purpose-driven marketing, and  values-based marketing , where profitability and service to the individual are not contradictory objectives, but compatible ones.

By  José Miguel Ponce