The Rise Of Less-Is-More Marketing

"Edward Bernays unleashed a powerful force on the world when he unlocked the secrets of modern marketing. As far back as the 1920s, marketing professionals have been capitalizing on emotions, and these tactics have created a hustle-focused marketing culture capable of whipping the world into a frenzy. How? With more. Modern PR tactics are perpetually training people to want more, and marketers are trained to do more to satiate that rising demand."

"Of course, this hustle-fueled frenzy is often portrayed as a noble pursuit of a more customized experience for the consumer. However, this "customized experience" is no less intrusive, no less frequent, no less dishonest and no less responsible for perpetuating the mentality of more. In fact, the situation is only getting worse. As if in direct response to this trend, public opinion on marketing is shifting in a significant way."

Edward Bernays pioneered modern marketing techniques that harness emotions to shape consumer behavior. Since the 1920s, marketers have cultivated a hustle-focused culture that trains people to desire ever more. Modern PR emphasizes constant acquisition: subscriptions, personalized products, targeted advertising, and aggressive tactics to maintain engagement. That "more" mentality amplifies intrusive personalization and pervasive dishonesty across social media and marketing. Empirical evidence shows purchasing does not reliably increase happiness, while global depression and anxiety rates are rising. Public opinion is shifting toward demand for honest messaging and punitive attitudes toward deceptive marketing, especially given social media links to youth mental-health harms.

Read at Forbes