The Marketing Matrix: How the Corporation Gets Its Power û And How We Can Reclaim It

In the nineteenth century, consumption was recognised as a killer - now it's the only show in town. Today quantitative easing is employed to encourage consumption as a way out of recession, in the face of climate change causing untold social, political and economic problems across the world. How do corporations continue to pursue rapacious marketing techniques with no concern for the costs? Is the answer to employ the same aggressive marketing strategies to promote wellbeing, social goods and to fight consumption for its own sake? Gerard Hastings investigates in this compelling book. Hastings analyzes the boom in consumption opportunities - driven by marketing activities. He shines a light on the obsessive marketing techniques that are employed by crack marketing managers worldwide and explains how these not only feed the spectre of ever-growing levels of consumption but also cause great social problems. In a convincing final section, the author presents social marketing as a saviour. This compelling book will be of interest across the social sciences and humanities - but will be particularly useful reading for those marketing students who'd prefer a critical perspective to the standard ritualization of their discipline.