I like my work, but it makes me ask myself a lot of questions. I don’t always like the answers.
It is the chemical substance of “wanting” and desire.
But how does it work?
From an evolutionary perspective, our brain rewards us for everything that increases our likelihood of survival by releasing a neurotransmitter called dopamine.
This is why having sex or eating a big steak is so damn pleasurable: our brain thinks the former equals the continuation of our species and the latter to prolonged satiety.
We design a world of instant gratifications, which we often receive without any effort. All we need is to consume to be immediately rewarded with a dose of dopamine.
As a communication expert, I am also an expert in dopamine: I work to release as much of it as possible, to make people come back more and more.
However, I believe that in recent years the situation has become harsher, and the logic of marketing dominates society.
I am trained to recognize these dynamics, and I have ended up seeing them everywhere.
I don’t like it; I find it unnatural, dirty, and, above all, excessive.
That’s why, throughout my career, I have decided NOT to work for certain product categories – regardless of remuneration – and I try to always keep in mind the impact these techniques can have on people and society.
I look for ways to make people stop, take an interest in something and remember it. I like it when that helps an idea or a product with something real to offer get noticed.
But there are many ways to win people’s attention. You can manufacture a sense of urgency that isn’t there, promise more than a product can deliver, or fill every available space just to be seen.
I’ve learned to recognise these tactics, which may be why I now see them everywhere. Or perhaps marketing’s logic really is spreading into more and more parts of our lives.
A strategy doesn’t end when we find a way to get results. I care about *how* we get there, and what we leave people with after we’ve caught their attention.
Sometimes that means questioning a promise, dropping a shortcut or letting go of a clever idea that’s taking us in the wrong direction. The choice isn’t always obvious. That’s one reason I want to make it with the people I work with.
There are industries I’ve decided not to work in, whatever the fee. On other projects, I try to speak up when something doesn’t sit right with me and find a way forward that works for the client without forgetting the people on the receiving end.
I wouldn’t call this “purity”. I work in marketing; it would be strange to pretend my work doesn’t influence people. But being independent gives me some say in how I do it and who I do it for. I try to use that freedom.
