June 22, 2023

This blog is about something I’ve noticed again and again: people associate more negative words with “marketing” than positive ones. When many people hear the word marketing, they don’t think “creative,” “helpful,” or “inspiring.” They think: pushy, annoying, manipulative, deceptive.

So why does marketing get such a bad reputation? Let’s break it down.

The Problem

When you think about marketing, what comes to mind? Fun and engaging campaigns from big brands? Or the boring, repetitive ads you see every day—on buses and SkyTrains, on the radio, on billboards, and on your phone?

Advertising is everywhere. It has become so common that our brains often treat ads like background noise. We filter them out automatically, just like we ignore a random flyer on the street. And because marketing is often experienced as advertising, people start to feel overwhelmed and annoyed.

Skipping Ads Has Become a Daily Habit

Think about how often we skip ads in one day.

How irritating is it to wait five seconds before clicking “Skip Ad” on YouTube? Some people even pay for YouTube Premium just to avoid ads entirely.

And there’s also AdBlock—the Chrome extension with hundreds of millions of downloads, created for one purpose: to help people escape marketing. Before, people muted the TV or switched radio channels. Now, people download apps, buy subscriptions, and pay money just to avoid ads.

Honestly, even as someone who has studied marketing for years, I do the same thing. Ads interrupt my tutorial videos, my music playlists, my movies, and even short clips I watch for fun. Sometimes, I don’t even care what the ad is selling. I just want it gone.

So… Why Do People Hate “Marketing”?

Here’s the key: marketing is more than advertising.

Marketing includes research, product development, branding, customer relationship management, and much more. As marketers, we know that. But most customers don’t define marketing by what it is. They define it by how it feels.

And unfortunately, many marketing experiences feel negative. For example:

• relentless spam emails and messages
• telemarketing calls at the worst time
• pop-up ads that interrupt browsing
• exaggerated claims that feel dishonest
• pushy sales tactics that create pressure

Over time, these experiences build frustration. They create boredom with repetitive ads. They also create mistrust, because when people feel manipulated, they stop believing brands.

That’s why marketing gets labeled with words like: trickery, manipulation, deception, and aggressiveness.

The Marketer’s Pressure (And Why It Makes Things Worse)

At the same time, marketers face pressure too.

We are often asked to deliver results quickly, hit KPIs, and increase sales in a short period of time. That pressure can come from upper management, clients, or even within the marketing team.

When short-term performance becomes the only priority, marketers may take shortcuts:

• louder messaging
• stronger claims
• more aggressive tactics
• more interruptions
• less focus on customer experience

And when customers feel tricked into buying something, they don’t just leave, they remember. It damages trust, reputation, and loyalty.

The Solution: How Marketing Can Become Something People Don’t Hate

To improve how people feel about marketing, I believe we need to focus on two key areas:

1. Balance short-term goals with long-term trust

Yes, campaigns need measurable results—but marketers should align short-term SMART goals with a company’s long-term vision and values. Instead of asking, “How do we sell more this week?” We should also ask, “How do we build trust that lasts?”
Trust is a long game, and it is worth more than a quick sale.

2. Deliver stories that feel authentic and meaningful

Today’s customers want more than a transaction. They want to connect with brands that understand them, share their values, offer personalized experiences, and feel honest and human.

That’s why storytelling matters. When stories are authentic, consistent, and emotionally relevant, marketing becomes something people choose to engage with, not something they try to escape. When done well, marketing can become part of a customer’s identity, lifestyle, and community.

Conclusion

People hate marketing because they often experience it as interruptive, repetitive, and manipulative. But marketing doesn’t have to be that way.

By focusing on long-term trust, customer experience, and authentic storytelling, marketers can transform marketing into something positive, something empowering, meaningful, and even enjoyable.

Because the goal of marketing shouldn’t be to trick people into buying. It should be to serve the right people with the right message, in an honest and valuable way.