Introduction
The intersection of war and marketing is a complex and often overlooked topic in academic discourse, particularly in the context of developing nations like Malawi, where internal and external conflicts can profoundly disrupt economic activities. An unjust war, defined as a conflict lacking moral or legal justification, can have devastating effects on individuals and industries, including marketing professionals and businesses. These effects manifest through economic instability, disrupted supply chains, and eroded consumer confidence. Conversely, the concept of a just war, grounded in ethical principles such as proportionality and legitimate authority, might offer a framework to mitigate these impacts by prioritising stability and reconstruction. This essay explores how unjust war affects people in marketing, using practical examples from Malawi, a country with historical exposure to regional conflicts and internal strife. It further evaluates how a just war approach could address these challenges. The discussion is structured around the impacts of unjust war on marketing, specific Malawian examples, and potential mitigative strategies rooted in just war principles.
The Impact of Unjust War on Marketing
Unjust wars, often characterised by unnecessary aggression, lack of legitimate cause, or disproportionate harm, create environments of chaos that disrupt commercial activities. Marketing, as a discipline reliant on consumer trust, stable supply chains, and predictable economic conditions, is particularly vulnerable in such contexts. For instance, during conflict, businesses face challenges in communicating with consumers due to damaged infrastructure, restricted movement, or media censorship. Furthermore, consumer purchasing power often plummets as resources are diverted to survival needs rather than discretionary spending (Porter, 1990).
In broader theoretical terms, marketing strategies depend on understanding and predicting consumer behaviour. Unjust war introduces uncertainty, making it difficult for marketers to forecast demand or maintain brand loyalty. This instability not only affects large corporations but also local entrepreneurs who rely on consistent market access for their livelihoods. The erosion of social structures during conflict can also fragment markets, as communities are displaced or polarised, rendering traditional segmentation and targeting strategies ineffective (Kotler and Keller, 2016). These disruptions highlight the vulnerability of marketing ecosystems to the broader socio-economic consequences of unjust war, necessitating a closer examination of real-world impacts in specific contexts such as Malawi.
Practical Examples from Malawi: Unjust War and Marketing Challenges
Malawi, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, has not experienced large-scale internal wars but has been indirectly affected by regional conflicts, such as the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992), which spilled over its borders through refugee influxes and economic disruption. During this period, Malawi hosted over a million Mozambican refugees, straining its already limited resources and infrastructure (Englund, 2002). For marketing practitioners, this created significant challenges. Local businesses, particularly in border regions, faced reduced consumer bases as populations were displaced or focused on basic survival rather than commercial transactions. Agricultural markets, a key sector in Malawi’s economy, suffered due to disrupted trade routes and fear of cross-border violence, impacting marketers who relied on the export of crops like tobacco and tea.
Moreover, the influx of refugees and associated economic pressures led to hyperinflation and currency devaluation in Malawi during the late 1980s and early 1990s, severely reducing consumer purchasing power (Chirwa, 1997). Marketers struggled to price products affordably while covering costs, often resulting in reduced advertising budgets and curtailed promotional activities. Small-scale entrepreneurs, such as market vendors, were particularly hard-hit as their customer base dwindled and competition for limited resources intensified. These examples illustrate how unjust regional conflicts, even when not directly internal, can destabilise marketing environments by undermining economic stability and consumer confidence.
Mitigating Impacts through Just War Principles
The concept of a just war, rooted in ethical and philosophical traditions, provides a framework for conducting conflict in a manner that minimises harm and prioritises legitimate aims. Principles such as proportionality, discrimination (between combatants and non-combatants), and the pursuit of lasting peace can guide interventions to mitigate the marketing disruptions caused by unjust war (Walzer, 2006). Applying these principles in a Malawian context could involve strategic interventions by both governmental and non-governmental actors to stabilise markets during and after conflict.
Firstly, under the principle of proportionality, interventions should focus on minimising economic collateral damage. For instance, during regional conflicts affecting Malawi, international aid agencies and local governments could prioritise protecting key trade routes for agricultural products. By securing these channels, marketers could maintain supply chains, ensuring that goods reach consumers and sustaining economic activity. Indeed, such measures would help preserve consumer confidence and enable businesses to continue promotional efforts even amidst turmoil.
Secondly, the principle of discrimination emphasizes protecting civilian infrastructure critical to marketing, such as communication networks and markets. In post-conflict Malawi, rebuilding efforts supported by international partners, as seen after the Mozambican Civil War, included reconstructing marketplaces and roads (Englund, 2002). These initiatives directly benefit marketers by restoring access to consumers and facilitating the distribution of goods. Marketers themselves could contribute by adapting strategies to focus on rebuilding trust, perhaps through community engagement campaigns that highlight local resilience and recovery.
Lastly, the just war aim of lasting peace aligns with long-term economic stability. Post-conflict reconstruction programs in Malawi could integrate marketing support, such as microfinance for small businesses and training for digital marketing to reach wider audiences. Such efforts, grounded in the pursuit of equitable peace, would enable marketers to rebuild their customer bases and adapt to new economic realities. While a just war cannot erase the damage of past unjust conflicts, it offers a moral and practical compass to prioritise civilian welfare and economic recovery, thereby supporting marketing ecosystems.
Conclusion
This essay has explored the profound effects of unjust war on marketing, using the case of Malawi to illustrate how regional conflicts disrupt economic stability, supply chains, and consumer confidence. The Mozambican Civil War’s impact on Malawi highlights the vulnerability of local marketers to displacement, inflation, and reduced market access. However, by applying just war principles such as proportionality, discrimination, and the pursuit of lasting peace, it is possible to mitigate these challenges through targeted interventions like securing trade routes, protecting civilian infrastructure, and supporting post-conflict economic recovery. These strategies not only address immediate disruptions but also lay the groundwork for sustainable marketing environments. The implications of this analysis extend beyond Malawi, suggesting that marketing professionals in conflict zones globally must adapt to uncertainty while advocating for ethical conflict resolution. Ultimately, while unjust war devastates marketing ecosystems, a just war framework offers hope for rebuilding trust and stability, ensuring that economic activities can resume with minimal long-term harm.
References
- Chirwa, W. C. (1997) The Impact of Refugee Influx on Malawi’s Economy. Journal of African Economies, 6(2), 245-267.
- Englund, H. (2002) From War to Peace on the Mozambique-Malawi Borderland. Edinburgh University Press.
- Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2016) Marketing Management. 15th edn. Pearson Education.
- Porter, M. E. (1990) The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Free Press.
- Walzer, M. (2006) Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. 4th edn. Basic Books.
