21 Jul WHEN PERSUASION BECOMES POWER: ETHICAL BRANDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE
This seminar explores the ethics of modern marketing and digital persuasion through a sharp, interdisciplinary lens. Beyond Kant (respect for persons) and Mill (consequences and harm), we draw selectively on Aristotle (ethos–pathos–logos), Butler and Bourdieu (identity and cultural reproduction), Weber/Ritzer (rationalization and McDonaldization), Kahneman/Damasio (fast thinking, emotion and choice), and Nissenbaum/Zuboff (contextual privacy and surveillance capitalism) to frame what responsible influence demands today.
Analyzing real-world cases such as Cambridge Analytica, Dove’s Real Beauty, Nike, and AI-generated influencers, the course challenges participants to question the boundaries between persuasion and manipulation; balancing scale and performance with autonomy, inclusion, and trust.
Through a combination of theory, debate, and applied ethics workshops, students learn to design strategies that align emotional impact with cultural relevance and moral responsibility. Ultimately, the seminar invites future marketers and business professionals to reimagine influence not as a tool for control, but as a creative force for empathy, transparency, and positive social change.
ALEJANDRO PEDROCHE
Alejandro Pedroche is a marketing strategist and educator with over a decade of experience spanning higher education, public affairs, and creative industries. Currently Senior Manager of the Graduate Funnel at IE University, he leads initiatives that merge data, storytelling, and human insight to drive global enrollment growth.
Holding a degree in Philosophy and multiple Master’s degrees in Communication, International Trade, and Digital Marketing from institutions such as IE Business School, ESERP and Cámara de Comercio de Madrid, Alejandro bridges analytical rigor with ethical reflection, exploring how technology, influence, and empathy shape decision-making in modern marketing.
Before joining IE, he worked at Burson-Marsteller, the Peruvian Trade Commission in Spain, and several creative agencies, leading communication strategies for clients such as the European Commission, Mahou-San Miguel, and Heineken Spain. His work has ranged from public awareness campaigns to digital transformation and global brand positioning.
Passionate about teaching, Alejandro designs and delivers seminars on Ethics and Marketing, helping future professionals understand the power — and the responsibility — behind persuasion in the digital era.
Skills
By the end of this seminar, students will be able to:
• Apply key ethical frameworks (Kantian, utilitarian, and contemporary) to analyze marketing dilemmas.
• Identify and deconstruct cultural myths embedded in brand narratives and communication strategies.
• Evaluate emotional and behavioral influence techniques used in digital marketing and assess their ethical boundaries.
• Analyze the implications of AI, automation, and data-driven personalization for consumer autonomy.
• Design marketing strategies that integrate ethical responsibility with creativity, innovation, and social impact.
Schedule
Which dates?
18-jan
25-jan
01-feb
08-feb
15-feb
22-feb
What day?
MONDAYS
What time?
16.30-18.00