Marketing can be a force for good.
In its simplest and highest form marketing is about finding a better way and sharing it with others.
It’s an act of generosity.
It’s the best way to spread good ideas. Or bad ones. And that’s why marketing has become controversial.
Short-sighted marketers have made marketing the villain with shady tactics no one could feel proud of.
Clickbait ads. Robocalling and spammy texts. Deceptive promotions.
The prevalence of these unethical practices have trained us to stay on high alert.
As Seth Godin says, “Shameless marketers brought shame to the rest of us.”
In no other profession do practitioners so proudly deceive for profit.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Marketing can, and should be, a force for change.
Good marketing educates, inspires, persuades, and entertains.
It can help raise money for charity. It can bring awareness to a worthy cause. It can educate a community.
Good marketing makes a difference. It amplifies whatever it interacts with.
So for marketing to be a effective force for good, the volume of good marketing needs to drown out the bad.
And it’s up to us marketers to decide whether to use these powers of amplification for good or evil.