or product or service or who are overly fearful of competitors. But for anyone offering high-quality services or products, honesty is nothing to be afraid of.

After my “conversion,” I began to wonder if my mistrust of marketing methods was silly. I soon discovered a web site devoted to encouraging businesses to market with integrity. Clearly, there is a need to spread the wor

I used to believe marketing was antithetical to my personal values of honesty and integrity. Now I write marketing materials for a living. Did I sell out? No, I just realized my view of marketing was lopsided.

You can hardly blame me. MacDonald’s heralds its fat-laden salads as healthy. And how often have you received an authentic-looking “check” in the mail that’s really a dubious discount from your local car dealership?

It took me a while, but I finally discovered the shocking truth: honesty is an excellent marketing method!

Until I came to this astonishing realization, I wrote stories, humor columns, and news articles and edited dry technical material, for little pay. Finally, I decided to face reality and try copywriting. But I couldn’t get comfortable with the idea of using my writing for marketing.

Some time later, I started a little business offering music and movement classes for young children. I wrote calendar listings, press releases, and ads. I realized that marketing was no dirty deed, but simply the way to let families know about classes I was proud to offer. A few years after that I got a job writing press releases for a local arts agency. Once again, the work was innocent enough.

When doors started opening for a freelance career in marketing writing, my shifted perception allowed me to face marketing without fear of selling my soul.

To market is to simply let people know about your business and what’s good about it. That may be scary to those who offer an inferior product or service or who are overly fearful of competitors. But for anyone offering high-quality services or products, honesty is nothing to be afraid of.

After my “conversion,” I began to wonder if my mistrust of marketing methods was silly. I soon discovered a web site devoted to encouraging businesses to market with integrity. Clearly, there is a need to spread the word

ubious discount from your local car dealership?

It took me a while, but I finally discovered the shocking truth: honesty is an excellent marketing method!

Until I came to this astonishing realization, I wrote stories, humor columns, and news articles and edited dry technical material, for little pay. Finally, I decided to face reality and try copywriting. But I couldn’t get comfortable with the idea of using my writing for marketing.

Some time later, I started a little business offering music and movement classes for young children. I wrote calendar listings, press releases, and ads. I realized that marketing was no dirty deed, but simply the way to let families know about classes I was proud to offer. A few years after that I got a job writing press releases for a local arts agency. Once again, the work was innocent enough.

When doors started opening for a freelance career in marketing writing, my shifted perception allowed me to face marketing without fear of selling my soul.

To market is to simply let people know about your business and what’s good about it. That may be scary to those who offer an inferior product or service or who are overly fearful of competitors. But for anyone offering high-quality services or products, honesty is nothing to be afraid of.

After my “conversion,” I began to wonder if my mistrust of marketing methods was silly. I soon discovered a web site devoted to encouraging businesses to market with integrity. Clearly, there is a need to spread the wor

get comfortable with the idea of using my writing for marketing.

Some time later, I started a little business offering music and movement classes for young children. I wrote calendar listings, press releases, and ads. I realized that marketing was no dirty deed, but simply the way to let families know about classes I was proud to offer. A few years after that I got a job writing press releases for a local arts agency. Once again, the work was innocent enough.

When doors started opening for a freelance career in marketing writing, my shifted perception allowed me to face marketing without fear of selling my soul.

To market is to simply let people know about your business and what’s good about it. That may be scary to those who offer an inferior product or service or who are overly fearful of competitors. But for anyone offering high-quality services or products, honesty is nothing to be afraid of.

After my “conversion,” I began to wonder if my mistrust of marketing methods was silly. I soon discovered a web site devoted to encouraging businesses to market with integrity. Clearly, there is a need to spread the wor

ing press releases for a local arts agency. Once again, the work was innocent enough.

When doors started opening for a freelance career in marketing writing, my shifted perception allowed me to face marketing without fear of selling my soul.

To market is to simply let people know about your business and what’s good about it. That may be scary to those who offer an inferior product or service or who are overly fearful of competitors. But for anyone offering high-quality services or products, honesty is nothing to be afraid of.

After my “conversion,” I began to wonder if my mistrust of marketing methods was silly. I soon discovered a web site devoted to encouraging businesses to market with integrity. Clearly, there is a need to spread the wor

or product or service or who are overly fearful of competitors. But for anyone offering high-quality services or products, honesty is nothing to be afraid of.

After my “conversion,” I began to wonder if my mistrust of marketing methods was silly. I soon discovered a web site devoted to encouraging businesses to market with integrity. Clearly, there is a need to spread the word about this concept.

The web site is www.principledprofits.com, the brainchild of marketing writer Shel Horowitz. Business owners are encouraged to take the “Business Ethics Pledge,” promising to offer honesty, integrity, and quality in their work.

Mr. Horowitz has also written a book, Principled Profit: Marketing that Puts People First, which encourages and helps businesses to market themselves with honesty and integrity. The book includes examples of companies that have gained through marketing with integrity or lost through failing to do so. For instance, when cyanide-laced bottles of Tylenol caused seven deaths in 1982, Johnson & Johnson recalled $100 million worth of Tylenol products. The corporation took a big loss to protect consumers and customer loyalty went up, in turn allowing the company to recover relatively quickly.

In stark contrast, Mr. Horowitz cites the shockingly irresponsible practices of Ford and Firestone, who suspected safety concerns on Explorer tires even before the tires caused hundreds of fatalities and injuries. The fact that they exhibited poor marketing practices pales in comparison to the fact that they caused immeasurable harm and tragedy to so many.

Some time ago, a man approached me about writing content for a web site advertising a new guitar instruction course he had written. He already had a web page up for another guitar course, one so filled with hype that I did some internet research to be sure he was offering a decent product. Because of the hype, I