(for damage or restitution of loss etc.) against the vendor. The warranty may be 'express' (deriving from a specific agreement) or 'implied' (deriving from the operation of the law). 
A guarantee is an assurance (express or implied) of the quality of the goods supplied (or that the price asked is the lowest on the market etc.). There is usually a promise of a refund in the event of poor performance, or if the goods are not as described. It is used as a sales aid, especially for mail-order or direct mail business. In this case the goods cannot be inspected before purchase and the guarantee is to assure customers of the good standing and reputation of the vendor and the products offered. 
The law surrounding warranties and guarantees is now very complex. In the 
UK both national legislation and EEC Directives may be involved. In overseas markets there will be similar legislation. While the marketing department will be very concerned to utilise warranties or guarantees to show products or services in the best possible light, specialised legal help must be sought in this area. Product descriptions, packs, advertising and all forms of communication must be carefully scrutinised to ensure that statements are not made or inferred, which could lead to heavy commitments later on. 
One aspect does deserve increasing consideration from marketing people, in conjunction with technical colleagues. Many modern products show U-shaped failure patterns. Here most failures occur either in the first few hours or weeks of product life, or after several years. If a warranty or guarantee is given covering failure within 6 months of purchase, the whole risk of early failure may already be covered. Extending cover into the period before ageing sets in may then involve very little risk or cost. Extending cover to, say; three years, could be a profitable move if increased sales and profits more than offset the slight added 
risks. 
11.8 Marketing and the environment 
Next come the questions of pollution and destruction of the environment or ecol .. ogy. Both national and international constraints and regulations have increased rapidly over the past decade, ranging from the banning of the ivory trade and of whaling, to the phasing out of PFts in refrigeration. In the first two examples the improvement is immediate in protecting the threatened species. In the second the changes will take time to bring improvements in the ozone layer which is under threat. With regard to effluent from industry, regulations generally have been strengthened, controls are more stringent and monitoring is increasing (although in many areas it still seems inadequate). The idea that the polluter should pay for remedial work or for preventive action is gaining ground. This will add to costs, and may lead to the withdrawal of some products from the market. It is however 
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providing a powerful stimulus to civil engineering and other organisations with expertise in effluent control, water purification and similar areas. In the public sector similar problems arise with refuse disposal and sewage, as controls are imposed and tightened. Again there are markets here for appropriate expertise, which are being developed. 
From a marketing point of view the stance within the company should be in favour of compliance with all possible regulations, to avoid adverse and damaging publicity for itself or its products. Looking outwards, there may well be , opportunities arising from the increasing constraints on effluents and other pol- I luting substances. Where a company's processes or products give rise to environ-I" mental concern, marketing in conjunction with Research & Development or Technical departments should be seeking cleaner alternatives which will stilt meet customer needs. Where a company has expertise in the environmental area, either from its own disciplines such as civil or process engineering, or through solving its own pollution problems, there may be opportunities for the marketing of consultancy, control systems or remedial services in the environmental market. 
11.9 Marketing, society and consumerism 
The traditional concept of business responsibility concerns executives' accountability to customers, investors and employees. With customers, executives are required to provide quality products or services at reasonable prices. With investors, it is a question of securing acceptable return for the funds entrusted to the firm. Finally, with employees it is a question of providing employment at adequate remuneration which is seen to be fair. However, business and marketing's responsibilities are now seen to extend to society at large. It is no longer sufficient to meet only the three points mentioned above. On their own they are not considered socially responsible objectives. 
Socially responsible marketing decisions must take into account the eventual long-term consequences of the actions taken. Future generations, as well as existing ones, must be taken into consideration. 
There are other aspects of social responsibility. One is the relationship that should exist between this responsibility and the profit motive. In simple theory, it may be justified to strive for optimal levels of profit and to follow appropriate pricing policies. However, if it causes deprivation for the less affluent and poor, is it justified, especially in the long term? Against this, a company can only continue to exist and to provide employment if it can recover its costs and provide a surplus for research and development and future investment. IIf it is successful it will also be paying taxes, and can argue that the government should be dealing with issues of poverty and deprivation, not the individual company. 
(a) Consumerism and consumer protection 
Consumerism has developed over the past thirty years, starting in the USA and spreading through most developed countries. It is described as the demand that firms give greater attention to consumer desires, not only with regard to product offerings, but also their standard of life and the long-term effects of the firm's 
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actions. It is an important part of the drive for greater social responsibility by firms. While again creating short-term problems, it could offer new opportunities and challenges to marketing executives. 
For example, the regulations governing the minimum depth of tyre tread permitted on cars, for road-safety considerations, present problems for the consumer who must buy new tyres more frequently. However, if some manufacturers can improve the working life of their tyres to give longer tread wear, they could obtain a bigger share of the market at the expense of those who do nothing about this. Regulations requiring cars to be safer will pose problems for the manufacturers who do not comply quickly enough. Those who can modify their products in a short time would again achieve increases in sales and market shares. However, until consumers are better educated on all related subjects, and thus become more knowledgeable, the claimed benefits of consumerism are not likely to be fully realised. 
None the less the present consumer movement seems to be stronger and longer lasting than earlier attempts. Its demands are no longer just about consumption aspects but include assessment of changes in technology, life-styles, public attitudes, affluence and the media. This is due to growing concem about the quality of life as incomes, standards of living and education improve. Another factor is the increased complexity of technology and marketing putting the buyer at an ever-growing disadvantage in relation to the seller. Then there are the stresses and strains developing in the economic and political systems, inflation, pollution, the population explosion, loss of faith in politicians and their institutions, Finally, there is the 'impersonality' due to the increasing size of firms and institutions, aggravated by computerisation and automation. The last two, consumers feel, are causing them to lose identity and just become numbers or cogs in the business and state machines. 
On the other hand, not all protests on behalf of consumers are well founded. 
Many individuals and some organisations are misguided and badly informed. There is the unfortunate but true fact, also, that to the media bad practice is 'news' and good ones generally are not. So the public often gets a distorted view of the real position. Thus care is needed in assessing the true value of any protest both as regards its source and its significance in "the total context. Often protests just represent the personal views of the persons making them and are somewhat removed from those of society at large. 
There is substantial agreement by business people and consumer organisations that the basic objectives of marketing and consumerism are not in conflict. There has been increasing .acceptance of an 'environmental' view by many firms. Marketing is no longer concerned with only profit making (described as 'micro-profit applications') to the exclusion of all else. Company and industry self-regulation is developing, if slowly. Some firms have established consumer affair, departments. They do not deal just with complaints but study the total implications of company policies and actions. Some have produced codes of practice. These changes stress the dynamic nature of the marketing environment. Thus executives must keep themselves alert and informed on these subjects.