Are Marketers Lying To Us? Analysis Of "Trojan Horse Marketing”

In today's fast-paced world of advertising and 10-second attention spans, it has become increasingly challenging to create content that captures attention. Marketers today have a unique challenge ahead of them: create content that is noticed in the crowd of millions. What about using other methods of marketing to get your content noticed? Is it ethical to trick the viewer into seeing your content? Today, we will analyze the Trojan Horse Marketing tactic and whether it belongs in business or not.

Trojan Horse Marketing

According to marketing cartoonist Tom Fishburne, marketing can take on what he calls “Trojan Horse Marketing,” where marketers use trickery to get the engagement they desire from their audience. Fishburne states that often, this concept of marketing is used to create content that is enjoyable for its viewers, so they will be open to the marketing message behind it, stating, “the marketer’s brand is along for the ride.” However, Fishburne states this marketing can quickly become a source of trickery for the viewer, such as interesting links that lead to sales pitches or “mandatory” sign-ups, with unengaging content.

Ethical Considerations

There is no shortage of marketers sharing their views on this marketing tactic. Additionally, there are articles dedicated to showing how to use it. Although this may be helpful for marketers to learn how to get engagement, can we consider it ethical marketing? Consider the sign-up that pops up after clicking on the link, and notice how the button to close it is difficult to see. After looking at the article, I encourage you to ask yourself the following:

• Does this marketing trap the viewer?

• Are there hidden fees involved?

• Is the content hollow?

When “Free” Starts To Cost You

Think of a time when you subscribed to a “free” service that required your credit card information before you could receive your service, only to find that weeks later, your card had been charged a fee, as you missed the small text stating you would be charged after the trial. This is an example of unethical marketing as it tricks the customer into buying a product without their knowledge. This is different from a customer purchasing due to a commercial persuading them they need that product, as the customer is making a conscious decision to buy that advertised product. Unethical marketing relies on a lack of transparency to the viewer.

Is it Ethical?

This marketing tactic is not inherently unethical, as it can be used to influence the viewer without utilizing hidden fees or mandatory sign-ups. The answer lies in how we choose to use it. If we want to influence a viewer into making a decision, we may use tactics to persuade them, but we should not use tricks to fool a viewer into buying or subscribing to unavoidable content/products. As marketers, we have the ability to create meaningful and successful content without the use of trickery to achieve our desired goals.