Do marketers lie to sell?

This answer to this question is not simple and highly charged and opinionated. Ultimately, marketers may lie to sell, but only if it’s effective. Marketers are trying to get people to buy a product or service. Marketers generally believe that perception is reality. Therefore, they will do anything that is borderline legal in order to create the perception that their product is worth buying.

Using a more goal oriented approach then, you might ask yourself, “Can marketers lie to sell.” The answer is absolutely yes. As for the question, “Should marketers lie to sell?”, that’s a much harder question as lying can come to bite you in the ass later. Also, in order to create a brand and a reputation, is lying really the best policy?

Another question to ask is whether lying now will get you enough money so you don’t have to lie later. If doing something borderline ethical will get you business right now and if you don’t do it you might go out of business, would it not be fair to do that just this one time? That is a question that you must answer for yourself.

So is lying okay? Depends on the context and the situation. Also depends on your goals. Ultimately, you are responsible for what you do, so decide wisely, lest it come to bite you in the ass!