Bill Hicks on Marketing

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Recommends latexr · 2020-07 · on “Only 9% of visitors give GDPR consent to be tracked”

> if someone says they’re in advertising I automatically hate them You might enjoy Bill Hicks’ take: [this video]

Recommends ploum · 2023-02 · on “We boosted marketing email open rate from 20% to 60%”

"Email marketer here." It’s "spammer". Changing the word doesn’t make what you do less awful. (and check this nice video: [this video] )

Cites vladus2000 · 2018-05 · on “Browser extension that strips Google Analytics tokens from URL query strings”

Bill Hicks does a good job of explaining my thoughts on the matter: [this video] But on a more serious note, while I somewhat agree that not all marketing is evil, some absolutely is. I do not consider the marketing that cigarette companies did to knowingly hook kids on an addictive, cancer causing substance a good thing; I find it rather evil. Since it can be used for evil, I would rather make it as difficult as possible for them to use it against me. It might be a mostly pointless exercise, but it makes me feel better about it.

Cites adrian_mrd · 2018-07 · on “What if people were paid for their data?”

Ha! Reminds me of the late, great, Bill Hick’s seminal piece on marketers and advertisers: [this video] I oft wonder how much disdain Bill Hicks would have for the tech bros and the Orwellian apparatus many large tech companies have created.

Cites bryanrasmussen · 2019-03 · on “HIV Is Reported Cured in a Second Patient”

I would think the feeling that marketing as a whole, and advertising as part of it was a large social negative was prevalent enough that one would not have to explain it even if not everyone agrees. I mean it's common enough that Bill Hicks on the subject is pretty much a meme by this point [this video] I'm not saying I necessarily agree, but if someone says advertising is a cancer on society or something like that I would not be like - whoa what particular belief system has led him to conclude this?!? - I would think, huh, they have that set of beliefs regarding advertising and marketing.

Cites mayniac · 2019-05 · on “Advertising as a source of dissatisfaction: cross-national evidence”

I formed the opinion a while ago that we should go a step further: ban advertising entirely (not exactly a new idea, Bill Hicks came first [1]). Billboards, TV ads, newspaper ads, paid-for articles, promoted Instagram content, all internet ads, everything. One of the main tenants of capitalism is that it naturally produces a meritocracy. Products which are of a higher quality or cheaper than their competitors should, in theory, sell better. Advertising in any form subverts that. More expensive and lower quality products can completely outsell competitors by out-advertising them, which fundamentally undermines capitalism. I do not believe that any limits can be imposed which will make a meani

Cites mayniac · 2020-01 · on “Researchers find inverse correlation between advertising and life satisfaction”

I doubt the only products you buy are cucumbers, tomatoes and gas. You've chosen your phone, laptop, car, and various other branded items. Advertising very likely played a role in your decisions there. How can you actually be sure that advertising doesn't work on you? Of course, you don't see an ad on TV for a new smart fridge and immediately jump out of your sofa, wallet in hand, to go buy it. But the key thing is that _nobody does_. That's not the point. The idea is that six months down the line when your fridge breaks irreparably and you're deciding between different brands, those ads will have an influence, and you won't realise it. People who think advertising doesn't work on them _are

Cites imiric · 2022-10 · on “Reality is just a game now”

Correct. This fact is well known and exploited by those with the means and interest to reach a political goal, accrue wealth, and gain or stay in power, i.e. corporations, governments and advertisers. The internet is a playground for this crowd, and they couldn't have asked for a better tool. It's incredibly ironic that the same adtech and social media built by western societies, sources of so much pride and prosperity, is legally and knowingly used by both internal and external enemies to influence their governments in any way they please, without leaving any trace of who did it, or what they exactly did to begin with, since it happens on long timescales with millions of small "attacks". It