The Moral Tourist: How Brands Are Marketing Virtue in a World of Guilt

Marketing, at its foundation, is deeply rooted in the psychology of people and understanding the motivations behind their actions. As businesses strive to build a picture for their audience of their solution to their problem, they must now contend with a pervasive, modern conflict: the tension between desire and moral responsibility.

We currently live in a time where traditional actions, particularly travel, are often deemed ‘bad’. Despite knowing that quick fixes like carbon credits may not truly work, and acknowledging the growing importance of living local, eating local, and being local, especially among younger generations, the inherent want to travel and consume the world persists. This is the dilemma that gives rise to the “moral tourist.”

Defining Moralistic Tourism

So, how do individuals reconcile the desire to consume or travel with the moralistic pressure to abstain? They find a rational moralistic reason to tour. This is the essence of moralistic tourism.

Consider the example of buying an electric vehicle, like a Tesla. For many, this decision is underpinned by the belief in being morally virtuous. This feeling of virtue is so powerful that it allows the buyer to overlook serious, opposing moral realities, such as the knowledge of children in Africa being slaves, mining the materials required for the vehicle. In this scenario, the end justifies the means.

Crucially, by rationalising an action as being for the moral good, individuals grant themselves a moralistic license to justify future actions. If they travelled once for a “very good thing,” they can justify traveling somewhere else later.

Marketing Morality: A Strategy for Resonance

For businesses, this psychological mechanism represents a powerful strategic opportunity. Since effective marketing involves understanding what will resonate with the audience, addressing their moralistic dilemma becomes paramount. Marketing is about solving problems, and often, the biggest internal problem a consumer faces is cognitive dissonance or guilt associated with consumption.

Refinery23’s approach to marketing strategy focuses on looking at the entire business, determining what problems you are solving, and figuring out how your business strategy translates into a marketing strategy that works. When applying this to the moral tourist, the marketing strategy must solve the moral problem.

Instead of trying to eliminate the consumer’s desire (which is difficult), the brand provides the moral justification that allows the desire to be fulfilled. This involves aligning the business’s message (the solution) with the customer’s search for moral coherence. Transformation and change, as noted in the context of personal growth, often arise not from force or control, but from coherence and alignment to one’s true nature. For a brand, this means ensuring the messaging is aligned to allow the consumer to act coherently with their desire to consume and their need to feel morally good.

Strategic Implementation

To successfully leverage morality in marketing:

1. Identify the Moral Gap: What is the psychological tension your consumer is experiencing regarding your product or service? If you sell luxury goods or experiences (like travel), the gap is likely guilt or environmental anxiety.
2. Provide the Virtue: Develop marketing collateral and messaging that frames the purchase as an inherently moral act. This must resonate with the specific audience. For instance, a travel company might not just sell a trip; they sell an “ethical necessity” or a “mission” rationalized for the moral good.
3. Build the License: The messaging should be designed to give the consumer that moralistic license. If they buy your ethically-sourced, high-end product, they are contributing to a “more independent society” or achieving a higher state of alignment, justifying the expenditure and future purchases.

This approach acknowledges that people are seeking solutions that simplify their lives, not just mechanically, but emotionally. By offering a product or service packaged with moral justification, you are providing a solution that builds a picture for your audience, allowing them to feel morally virtuous even when the situation is complicated.

Using morality in marketing isn’t about deception; it’s about recognising the psychological need for justification and providing a well-articulated, resonant solution that allows the consumer to satisfy their desires while maintaining their self-perception as a good person.