In Code We Trust
Could smart contract coding shake up the influencer marketing landscape and possibly replace some less trustworthy humans.
From Mad Men to Web3: The Evolution of Marketing and the Quest for Authenticity
The world of marketing has always been a reflection of the times, evolving with society's changing values, technologies, and mediums. From the golden age of advertising depicted in Mad Men, to today’s influencer-driven economy, the strategies to capture consumer attention have grown more sophisticated—and sometimes more manipulative. As we now stand on the cusp of Web3, the dynamics of trust in products and authenticity in marketing are poised for another radical shift, one that promises to decentralize power and has the option and possibility to place trust in code, not always people.
Mad Men: The Birth of Manipulative Marketing
Mad Men, the critically acclaimed TV show set in the 1960s, offers a fascinating glimpse into the early days of modern advertising. The show’s protagonist, Don Draper, embodies the era's approach to marketing—a world where manipulation was not just a tactic but an art form. Draper and his colleagues at Sterling Cooper didn’t just sell products; they sold ideals, emotions, and dreams. They were masters at creating desires that consumers didn’t even know they had, often by exploiting insecurities and societal pressures.
This era of advertising was about crafting the perfect image, one that often had little to do with reality. It was a time when the narrative was controlled entirely by the advertiser, and consumers were passive recipients of these carefully constructed messages. The goal was to manipulate, to make people believe that purchasing a certain product would lead to a better life, a more fulfilled existence.
While this approach was effective, it also laid the groundwork for a growing mistrust in advertising—a skepticism that would only deepen with the rise of new marketing strategies
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The Influencer Economy: The Illusion of Authenticity
Fast forward to the present day, and the marketing landscape has undergone a seismic shift. The rise of social media platforms has democratized who can be a marketer. Now, anyone with a smartphone and a following can influence consumer behavior. Enter the era of the influencer.
Influencers are often touted as the antidote to the manipulative advertising of the past. They present themselves as relatable, real people who share their lives with their followers. By oversharing their personal experiences, challenges, and successes, influencers create a sense of intimacy and trust with their audience. This authenticity is their currency.
But is it truly authentic?
The influencer economy, while appearing more transparent and trustworthy, often carries its own brand of manipulation. The curated nature of social media means that what we see is often only a polished version of reality. And don’t get me wrong, a lot of us participate in this, whether it’s curating our own online lives and also sort of fawning over others who do so. Influencers, much like the ad men of the past, craft their images carefully, showcasing only the best parts of their lives, often concealing the less glamorous aspects. They may promote products not because they genuinely love them, but because they’re paid to. This blurs the line between personal recommendation and paid advertisement, leaving consumers to question the genuineness of the endorsement.
Now, I am not here to completely jump on influencers. But blockchain and its transparency could also help and prevent influencers from even becoming involved with a brand and product in the first place. You see, I am trying to save them!! Take the extremely embarrassing incident on the Blindboy Undestroys the World series, when a bunch of influencers agreed to promote a healthy drink on their socials. While listing the ingredients to their followers, they all let the words ‘hydrogen cyanide’ roll off their tongues. Now, if all ingredients were sourced and paid for on blockchain, showing exactly where they were sourced from, this could be a useful research tool for influencers to save them the embarrassment of promoting a drink that could seriously harm and kill their followers.
Moreover, the pressure to maintain relevance in a crowded space leads many influencers to constantly push products, sometimes at the expense of their own authenticity and credibility. They share not because they want to, but because they need to maintain engagement, likes, and followers—the very metrics that determine their income.
This raises the question: In an era where personal connection is a selling point, are we simply being manipulated in a different way? Are we truly seeing the real person behind the influencer, or just another carefully constructed image designed to sell?
The Promise of Web3: Trust in Code, Then in People
As we move into the Web3 era, the dynamics of marketing and trust are set to undergo yet another transformation. Unlike Web2, where trust is placed in individuals or centralized platforms, Web3 shifts that trust to code and decentralized networks.
For artists, creators, and even consumers, this represents a monumental change. In the Web3 world, the trustworthiness of a transaction or a product doesn’t depend on the charisma or transparency of a person, but on the integrity of the code that underpins it. Blockchain technology, with its transparent and immutable ledger, ensures that every transaction, every contract, is executed exactly as promised.
Take, for example, the world of digital art and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). Artists who are traditionally shy or private may no longer feel the need to sell themselves to gain trust. The blockchain verifies the authenticity of their work, the ownership, and the terms of sale. A smart contract—a self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement directly written into code—guarantees that the artist will be paid, that the buyer will receive what was promised, and that all terms are fulfilled without the need for intermediaries.
In supply chains, blockchain can track the provenance of products from origin to consumer, ensuring that what you’re buying is authentic, ethically sourced, and unaltered. This transparency is not dependent on the word of an influencer or a brand but is guaranteed by the code itself.
Smart contracts further enhance this trust by automating the execution of agreements. For example, if an artist sells a piece of digital art, the smart contract could automatically distribute royalties every time the artwork is resold, without the artist needing to rely on galleries or platforms to honor this agreement. The terms are set in code, and the execution is trustless—meaning it requires no trust in a third party to enforce it.
This shift towards trust in code rather than individuals or institutions has profound implications for the marketing landscape. It removes the need for consumers to question the authenticity of a product, the supply chain and the aftercare for consumers, when all set in stone in the smart contract. The transparency and immutability of blockchain technology means that all necessary information is openly accessible and verifiable by anyone, at any time.
Conclusion: A New Era of Trust and Authenticity
The journey from the manipulative advertising strategies of Mad Men to the influencer economy of today reveals how the methods of gaining consumer trust have evolved—and how they’ve often remained rooted in some form of twisting a story. As we step into the Web3 era, we’re on the brink of a revolution where trust is decentralized, transparent, and no longer solely reliant on the image someone projects.
Web3 offers a vision of a digital economy where artists, creators, and consumers alike can interact without the need for elaborate marketing facades. Trust is placed in the code, in the blockchain, and in the transparent execution of smart contracts. For artists, this means the freedom to create without the pressure to sell themselves. For consumers, it means knowing that what they buy is genuine, and that the terms of every transaction are guaranteed.
In this new world, the marketing manipulation of the past and the curated lives of influencers may finally give way to a more authentic, trustworthy system—one where the code, not the charisma, is king.