The Invisible Force

There was a time in the not so distant past when people didn’t feel as anxious about the world. There was a basic understanding and idea of what to expect of tomorrow—after all, things wouldn’t change for decades, centuries, millennia. There were Gods that established the landscape of morality, family traditions that gave the youth a rough roadmap to follow, methods of communication were slower and simpler.

I am not talking about Medieval times. I am talking about as early as the beginning of the 20th century.

The 1900s had a disruptive effect on the course of humanity, far beyond what most imagine. Yes, there were world wars, the invention of the atomic bomb, the first human flight, and so on. But what society didn’t quite grasp were the effects that this rate of change was having on the underpinnings of the human psyche.

Take your great-grandfather. If his father was a brick layer, the likelihood that he would also be one were very high. Fast-forward to today, in the Western world at least, what your parents did for a living means nothing to what you will choose to do. The world is your oyster, and you can be anything you want. So, they said.

And let me be clear, by “they” I mean the companies that saw an opportunity to latch on to the inherent human naivete that is mostly prominent among the youth.

The conventional marketing world is no longer what it used to be. A seismic shift has taken place from a focus on physical differentiators to the marketing of "invisible" goods — also known as values. Among the onslaught of change I described in the paragraphs above, the democratization of production technology and offshoring has opened the flood gates, allowing anyone to manufacture the same thing as you.

Gone are the days when engineering and technical prowess were the predominant differentiators. Brands are now required to think outside the box, to consider what they stand for and to appeal to audiences seeking affiliations with like-minded entities. This slow geological-like event of layers upon layers of marketing influence over our personal choices throughout the course of decades has forever changed our relationship with the world.

The aggregative capacity of meanings throughout society is what has given marketers immense power in the modern and postmodern worlds. But the catch is that marketing, as an industry, does not have the hermeneutical history of understanding the world that previous methods of human interpretation had (such as religion). All it cares about is building their brand value over time and making sales in the short-term. By definition, these incentives are not in favour of people who want to build a resilient and meaningful life.

When consumerism is the religion, profit is the God. So, where do we go from here?

I’m not one to provide rosy outlooks of the future. The reality is that much like previous societies have faced their own demise while indulging in seemingly “good causes”, our modern society comprised of “evolved humans” are not exempt of a similar fate.

Social media has effectively taken a hold of the youth to the point where Gen-Zs’ dream jobs are to become YouTubers and influencers. In what world can I see any indication of this being a good sign for our future?

The simple fact that we no longer have to deal with the possibility of not knowing where our next meal is coming from, or of our neighbouring countries attempting to pillage our communities (sadly, in some parts of the world this is still a very real possibility, and we should look at those people fighting for their lives for guidance on how to live), we have allowed our primate brains to give into the irresistible possibilities of fulfilling our wildest desires—summiting Mount Everest for fun, buying more clothes than we could ever imagine to wear, eat, drink and smoke to the point of morbidity.

And marketers over the years caught on to this idea. It really started with Edward Bernays (Sigmund Freud’s nephew) back in the 1930s, and has snowballed from there. The practice of assigning meaning and values to goods has yielded tremendous economic growth.

Goods are now associated with specific lifestyles and values. A car, for instance, is no longer just a mode of transport but a means to explore the unreachable, to visit secluded waterfalls and enjoy the freedom it symbolizes. Luxury travel is no longer about materialistic acquisitions; it's about immersing oneself in an unfamiliar culture, to walk in someone else's shoes. However, it's crucial to note that these experiences, while presented as authentic, are often highly controlled and designed, akin to a curated trip to Disneyland.

This evolution of marketing has had a profound impact, especially on the youth. Marketing techniques cleverly weave narratives around the idealized image of who we should be, creating an almost unattainable standard. These images suggest a utopian life free of negative emotions, a life that encourages passive acceptance rather than the exercise of personal judgement. The choices seem to have been made already, dictated by the brands we follow, subtly eroding our individuality.

In this volatile climate, marketing, with its ability to conglomerate and diffuse meanings, has assumed an oversized role. It guides consumers in making personal decisions, playing on their desires and influencing their interpretation of the world. Consequently, marketing has become a key narrator of our consumerist society. Its narratives are interwoven with the products it advertises, transforming these from mere objects to carriers of meaningful experiences.

As noted, the historical construction of our world has been radically altered. Uncertainty pervades as no one seems to know the process anymore; everything seems to be up for grabs. Elements that used to anchor our interpretation of the world, such as religion, familial ties, and traditional methods of communication, are no longer consistent or universally understood. Disruption has become the new norm, sweeping across industries with an unpredictable and often chaotic velocity, exacerbated further by global events like the Covid pandemic.

By focusing on values, marketers are sparking important conversations about corporate responsibility, sustainability, and inclusivity. This value-based differentiation is compelling brands to stand for something meaningful and tangible, thereby encouraging better corporate practices and more conscious consumption—but as I said in previous articles, for as long as it makes money. But this reality, while seemingly good on the surface, is a double-edged sword, for while these narratives can be empowering, they can also lead to the commodification of values, turning them into marketing ploys rather than genuine commitments.

While this may all sound negative and depressing, I don’t aim to bring anyone down—we’re all feeling it, I’m just attempting to place a finger on it. Despite it all, I might still be late to the party, as we’re about to enter a new and more disruptive era of the likes we’ve never seen before in the history of civilization—and you know exactly what I am talking about.

PPA