In modern times, gradually butsurely, virtually everything is turning into a saleable commodity
EVER heard of exploitative marketing? If not diametrically opposed, exploitative marketing is definitely different from aggressive marketing. However, the aim of the two marketing strategies remains the same — sales promotion. Both systems vie for bumper sales. In the world of today, marketing is not necessarily restricted to selling of services, products, and commodities. It is more than that. The politicians, actors, writers, scholars, intellectuals, ideas, slogans, maxims, and dogmas are also projected for marketing. It is common in the developed world.
Over a decade and a half ago the promoters and the marketing managers of Salman Rushdie in collaboration with his publishers launched a massive and calculated campaign for his new ‘extraordinarily shocking’ book that he was writing at an undisclosed place where, according to his promoters, ‘he did not want to be disturbed in his work’. The marketing managers kept emphasizing that ‘the book would jolt the world.’ They created curiosity among the readers. The marketing for the writer and his book was so forceful that thousands of the curious readers booked a copy of the book with the publishers without even knowing what its price would be after publication. When the book was ultimately published it turned out to be Salman Rushdie’s absolutely ordinary book, but it was sold in millions, and hit the top slot among the best selling books for months, may be for years. The title of the book was, The Satanic Verses.
The marketing managers for George Bush managed at the crucial juncture Osama’s latest videotape in which he threatened their client, George Bush. It went in favour of their client, and tilted substantial vote-bank in his favour. It is a classic example of exploitative marketing. In aggressive marketing the strategists endeavour to outmanoeuvre the products of each other’s clients in the market. In exploitative marketing the customers are targeted, and outwitted by the marketing managers by influencing their independent opinions through gimmickry.
Before we probe into complex modes of exploitative marketing in Pakistan, let us first try to comprehend the non-dictionary meaning of a commonly used word in our everyday conversation and communication. It will help us in understanding the shades of exploitative marketing. The word is exploitation.
More than 40 years ago, when being called a progressive and a leftist was a fashion in Pakistan, the word exploitation was a favourite phrase with the students at colleges and universities. It was used in everyday conversations in the lobbies, common rooms, restaurants and cafeterias. Some of the commonly used expressions were:
“Exploitation of the poor at the hands of the rich.”
“The industrialists exploit the workers.”
“Haves exploit the have-nots.”
“Zamindars exploit kissans, haris (the farmers).”
“Masters exploit the servants.”
“The powerful exploit the weak and the meek.”
“The moneylenders exploit the debtors.”
Every country has its own culture, traditions, socio-political infrastructure, and temperament. They have their own set of problems that can’t be solved with borrowed systems. In the face of stark realities the fashion of being called a leftist and a progressive, or a communist withered away. We realized, its not the rich who exploit the poor, or the industrialists who exploit the workers, the educated exploit the illiterates, wise exploit the unwise, genius exploit the ingenuous, scholars exploit the unscholarly, bosses exploit the subordinates, and the writers exploit the readers. Intellectual exploitation is more menacing for mankind than any other form of exploitation. It eats at the roots of the successive generations.
There is a commonly applicable connotation of the word exploitation. You may loosely call it personal weakness. People who nurture strong personal weakness stand prone to exploitation. An alcoholic bureaucrat and a politician are ruthlessly exploited over a crate of bottles of whisky. A government functionary who thrives on illegal gratifications is exploited by the persons in the know-how of his weakness for money. A public figure who easily succumbs to his lust for women is exploited all his life by the persons who possess his snaps in indecent postures with call girls.
There are other weaknesses that we adhere to happily. For example, people love their children more than anything else. The experts of exploitative marketing take full advantage of the weakness of the parents for their children, and exploit them blatantly. They market inferior products for sale with cheap gifts such as pencils, erasers, and cartoon stickers for the children. The exploited children compel you to give up the reliable product you have tried for years, and buy an inferior one for it contains a gift for the kids. It is exploitative marketing. The marketing managers exploit you to the extent of blackmail through your children.
The exploitative marketing strategists know we are a greedy people. They lure us with scratch cards that never ever take us to the promised destinations like Bangkok, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Dubai. Some marketing managers inculcate irresistible urge in you for scratching cards all your life in the hope that one day you might end up having a Honda, or a Toyota Corolla, or Rs10 million in cash, and you become a crorepati.
