Hidden Agendas : The Traps of Marketing

Within the world of marketing, the ultimate goal is to sell your business so successfully that it

results in an intentional purchase by the consumer. How your business gets to that point depends on what's more important to the business; selling the product or building relationships? The term “Trojan Horse Marketing” is a metaphor that is rooted within Greek

mythology. Summarized by Ram, the Greeks “gifted” the city of Troy a large Trojan Horse statue to symbolize their surrenderance from the Trojan War. Inside the horse held Greek soldiers who would wait to attack the Trojans after they had brought the horse into the city's walls (Ram). In marketing, it’s attracting viewers by any means and suddenly derailing them into the true reason why you brought them here. Unfortunate for the viewer? One could argue; but unethical? I would disagree.

Considering the Modern P’s of marketing in contrast to the Traditional P’s of marketing, we notice the traditional are far more product centric. For those who may not be aware, the modern and traditional P’s are as follows:

• Traditional

  • Product

  • Price

  • Place

  • Promotion

    
    

• Modern

  • People

  • Performance

  • Programs

  • Processes

    
    

Though companies who operate through the Traditional P’s may value consumer relationships, they value product sales substantially more. If a company's funnel analysis indicates that the majority of individuals who land on their website wind up making a purchase—well, how do we get more visitors? What’s another industry that our primary demographic shows interest in? How can we leverage that? From there, the trap is set.

Exploring the Modern 4Ps of Marketing: What Are The 4Ps? Mind — The Trojan Horse Exercise

Ram, Janaki. “Mind — The Trojan Horse Exercise.” Medium, 28 July 2023,

https://knowledgeyoga.medium.com/mind-the-trojan-horse-exercise-d8c879d85b4d