Defending the consumer's right to choice

In a BBC HARDTALK interview, Tim Sebastian speaks to the head of one of the world's leading advertising groups about marketing ethics and why he thinks his companies should promote products such as tobacco and alcohol, despite consumer health warnings.

Click here to watch the full interview

Sir Martin Sorrell is the founder and chief executive of British marketing giant WPP.

Chances are that most shoppers will have been influenced by a campaign or a slogan that one of his member companies dreamt up.

Clients of the WPP group include Coca-Cola, Nestl�, American Express and British American Tobacco.

WPP grew from humble beginnings in 1985 when Martin Sorrell purchased a controlling stake in Wire and Plastic Products. With a sharp eye for a bargain and shifts in global economies, he spent the last 18 years building WPP into the third largest communications services group in the world.

Consumer choices

In June last year, WPP acquired British American Tobacco as a client during the takeover of struggling rival Cordiant. British American Tobacco operates in more countries than any other cigarette manufacturer, with brands sold in 180 markets.

The marketing boss revealed that someone close to him has died from a smoking related illness. However, Mr Sorrell said he believed in consumers' freedom of choice and defended the right of companies to sell cigarettes.

It might set alarm bells ringing inside my head, but I don't believe I should be put in a position of making those moral judgements Sir Martin Sorrell

"It might set alarm bells ringing inside my head, but I don't believe I should be put in a position of making those moral judgements for other people," he said.

"The facts, the information are there for people to make their decision. It's a slippery slope. Once you start to make judgements, where do you begin and where do you end?"

Ethical checklist

Martin Sorrell says he has no ethical "checklist" when it comes to deciding whether or not WPP should represent a certain product or client. He said it's a combination of facts and a "gut feeling".

"There are some things we won't do and there are some things we will do and it's very difficult. I wouldn't say it's an easy thing, and we make mistakes."

Last year, WPP closed its Burma office of the advertising firm Bates soon after it was acquired during the Cordiant takeover.

Mr Sorrell said WPP withdrew from Myanmar before the publication of a "dirty list" of companies with links to Burma's military regime because they thought it was the appropriate thing to do given Burma's human rights record and government policies.

Public relations giant Burson-Marsteller, a WPP member company, specialises in image and crisis management for major companies and governments.

It represented the Nigerian Government over reports of genocide during the Biafran war and was hired to improve the image of Romanian president Nicolae Ceausescu.

The British Government also sought Burson-Marsteller's help when BSE was discovered. The PR giant is now reported to be representing the Saudi Royal Family.

Tim Sebastian asked Mr Sorrell why WPP withdrew from Burma but continues to operate in Saudi Arabia when the country has also been accused of human rights abuses.

"If you believe something has to be changed, I think you have to work within the system to change it," he said.

HARDtalk can be seen on BBC World at 04:30 GMT, 11:30 GMT, 15:30 GMT, 19:30 GMT and 00:30 GMT

It can also be seen on BBC News 24 at 04:30 and 23:30