Positivism and Christian Approaches

Grimes Corporation (GC) is a large conglomerate that owns both the FoodTime grocery store chain and Primo TV, a regional cable station. For several year product bar coding has enabled FoodTime to target mail advertisements to customers based on their purchases.

GC now wants to take technology a step further. It proposes to target FoodTime customers through Primo TV ads. These ads would be tailored to each household based on its FoodTime purchases and other information GC is able to obtain. Advertisers who want to sell their products or services would be charged for this service. For example, if a customer buys lots of diet food and GC discovers through other sources that the customer belongs to a weight-loss club, select companies would be sold airtime to market their chocolate and pizza products directly into the home between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Or if the customer belongs to Alcoholics Anonymous, beer and wine manufacturers might want to purchase airtime to show their ads. Customers are unaware of this marketing tactic. Presume that no law yet prevents GC from pursuing this marketing strategy.

1. How would positivism analyze this case?

2. How would an integrated Christian approach analyze this case?

3. What are your personal feelings about this marketing practice?