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Mark Twain popularized for American readers the line he attributed to British Prime Minister Disraeli: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

We have in the century since then perfected more ways to lie, prominent among them the art and craft of modern advertising (see Seth Godin’s must-read All Marketers Are Liars for an extended discussion).

Not so long ago, back when Worthwhile Magazine was a thing, columnist Curt Rosengren did an Andy Rooney with the practitioners of Big Advertising:

You know what really irritates me? “You’re not good enough” marketing. The kind that uses the message, “You’re not good enough as you are, but if you buy this product you will be.” It tries to get into people’s wallets by fanning the flames of insecurity.

Who can disagree? We’re grateful when marketers tell stories that help us find products and services that will really help us. But when the problems marketers solve aren’t problems at all—your car isn’t new enough; your hair is grey—how are they not just shills?

“Enjoy our beverage and you won’t be thirsty for a while,” is a fair message. “Our beverage makes you a better person,” is ridiculous on the face of it.

• So, why do companies spend so much money on that kind of marketing?
• How clear is the line between “You’re not good enough” and “Our product or service can make your life marginally better?”
• Which side of the line does your company’s marketing inhabit? Did you get there on purpose?

Consider this from 1 Timothy 6:6-10:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

• Does this seem a long way from marketing? If consumers suddenly took that paragraph to heart, what would that do to your quarterly earnings?
• How much marketing and buying do you believe falls into the category of “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction?”
  • How much Christian evangelism slips into that trap?
• Is there a more honest way to market what you produce than you currently employ? What makes you think that? How can you find out if you’re right?