Why are great marketers burning what's boring. Are they attention merchants?

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5 points·TechWriterTom··4 comments

amazing! thank you for providing me a framework and label for what is destroying human society, and as a side-effect, the capacity for earth to sustain our transgressions and still provide the basis for life.

there surely won't be much of a market for anything without life. even funeral services require living clients, but I digress...

I also love Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.

But seriously, there's a few specific examples that are relevant.

1. Torches of Freedom. The father of PR, Edward Bernays, convinced women’s rights marchers in New York City to hold up Lucky Strike cigarettes — as “Torches of Freedom”. Obviously this is the type of marketing destroying the world.

2. Treelon Musk & MrBeast. Recently the YouTuber MrBeast started a campaign to plant 20 million trees to help the environment. Already Elon Musk has pledged $1 million.

Both of those ideas were thinking 'bigger'. It's up to the best marketers to be judicious and work on the most important causes.

However, ultimately I would agree with Douglas Adams -- we're better of with engineers in charge. But I still think we need great marketers working for them.

except for cinnabon. free passes for cinnabon

i'm referring to marketing, natch

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