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Once upon a time, I worked in marketing.
The one strategy I consistently advised brands to avoid—despite it being very popular (& lucrative)—was ‘native advertising’.
And I there’s a important connection here to C19 messaging...
1/7
The one strategy I consistently advised brands to avoid—despite it being very popular (& lucrative)—was ‘native advertising’.
And I there’s a important connection here to C19 messaging...
1/7
Native advertising is a marketing technique that is fundamentally deceptive.
The trick is to obscure the appearance of bias while knowingly delivering bias.
It’s advertising designed to evade detection.
Think “advertorials” or “sponcon”...
2/7
The trick is to obscure the appearance of bias while knowingly delivering bias.
It’s advertising designed to evade detection.
Think “advertorials” or “sponcon”...
2/7
The brand-side prob w/ native advertising is that once consumers catch on, their trust in the brand is diminished.
B/c it’s essentially theft.
Deception steals attn & ppl don’t like being manipulated.
Once trust is eroded, it’s often impossible (or too expensive) to get back..
B/c it’s essentially theft.
Deception steals attn & ppl don’t like being manipulated.
Once trust is eroded, it’s often impossible (or too expensive) to get back..
I bring this up because I see so many Public Heath voices today lamenting the trust lost in their discipline.
And they’re right.
Due to the deceptive nature of the C19 messaging/narrative, many have lost trust.
& it will cost society handsomely to reestablish, if even possible
And they’re right.
Due to the deceptive nature of the C19 messaging/narrative, many have lost trust.
& it will cost society handsomely to reestablish, if even possible
The:
*GIGO data
*missing context
*redefinitions
*moving goalposts
*shaming
*outlier anecdotes
*undisclosed conflicts of interest
—all disguised as ‘news’,
are like one massive, horribly deceptive marketing campaign to sell inflated perception of C19 severity to the public.
5/7
*GIGO data
*missing context
*redefinitions
*moving goalposts
*shaming
*outlier anecdotes
*undisclosed conflicts of interest
—all disguised as ‘news’,
are like one massive, horribly deceptive marketing campaign to sell inflated perception of C19 severity to the public.
5/7
Reestablishing trust won’t be easy and it will only happen when truth and transparency become a priority.
And even then, we will need new messengers to step up and deliver the message, because so much public trust has been lost by current ones.
6/7
And even then, we will need new messengers to step up and deliver the message, because so much public trust has been lost by current ones.
6/7
Lying is never a good strat for public comm.
It will always be exposed & there will always be consequences.
Whether intentions were noble or not is irrelevant.
Deception w/ intent to control will almost invariably result in a poor outcome.
This shouldn’t be a surprise.
7/7
It will always be exposed & there will always be consequences.
Whether intentions were noble or not is irrelevant.
Deception w/ intent to control will almost invariably result in a poor outcome.
This shouldn’t be a surprise.
7/7
And this speaks to the deceptive messaging only...it’s not even addressing the degree of harm inflicted, on both an individual and societal level, that the deceptive messaging inflicted, and how that contributes to the trust problem.
Related reading on the dangers of manipulating the message: https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/vinay-prasad/90445
Another great Op Ed about lies & messaging.
Highlights included for those not behind paywall.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-year-in-covid-messaging-11609537367
Highlights included for those not behind paywall.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-year-in-covid-messaging-11609537367
