Reefer Madness, D.A.R.E. and the Video Nasties: Marketing Lessons from Propaganda Fails What the Satanic Panic and Kony 2012 teach about audience insight, truthful storytelling and avoiding the Streisand effect. Propaganda tends to evoke images of heavy-handed political messaging, but at its core it’s simply a form of marketing, or at least communications; an attempt
The Persuaders: The Top 5 Most Famous Uses of Propaganda From wartime posters to cinematic persuasion - and what marketers can learn from history Propaganda might feel like a dirty word in marketing - but many view it simply as; persuasion at scale. The line between propaganda and marketing has always been thin, as explored
Public Relations vs Propaganda: A Historical Perspective for Marketers How Marketers Can Learn from History’s Greatest Persuaders - from Edward Bernays to Wartime Campaigns Public Relations (PR) and Propaganda both revolve around influencing public opinion, but they have evolved along very different paths. For marketers, understanding the origins, evolution, and key distinctions between PR and
The Nobel Peace Prize When the Merchant of Death Became the Patron Saint of Peace When Alfred Nobel read his own obituary, it didn’t make for light breakfast reading. In 1888, a French newspaper mistakenly announced the death of “Le marchand de la mort est mort” - “The merchant of death is dead.” They’d confused
What Would Orwell Think? Elon Musk, Symbolism, and the Power of Propaganda A Critique, From an Avid Reader of Orwell's Works In September 2025, London hosted a rally fronted by Tommy Robinson, a controversial figure whose events attract both fervent supporters and equally vocal critics. At this gathering, one appearance stood out: Elon Musk,
Biden vs Trump A Deep Dive into the 2020 and 2024 US Presidential Campaign Marketing Strategies The US presidential elections of 2020 and 2024 were not just political contests, they were marketing masterclasses - regardless of either outcome and your political disposition. Elections involve big budgets, using the latest marketing tools and some of the
Remembering Animal Farm at 80 The Political Fable That Publishers Feared This article is a little different to my usual marketing-focused content on Marketing Made Clear. But as a long-standing admirer of George Orwell, and someone fascinated by the role of communication, storytelling, and public perception, I couldn’t let the 80th anniversary of Animal Farm
An Introduction to Propaganda Influence, Illusion and Information Wars Propaganda. It’s a word that conjures up images of wartime posters, red flags, moustachioed dictators, and loudspeakers blaring patriotic jingles. But propaganda isn’t just a relic of 20th-century regimes - it’s alive and well today, albeit in more sophisticated, algorithm-fuelled forms. For marketers, historians, and media-savvy
Marketing, Messaging and Misinformation How Trump and Clinton Battled for America in 2016 The 2016 U.S. presidential election between Donald J. Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton marked a turning point not only in American politics, but also in how political marketing, media strategy, and propaganda operate in the digital age. At its core, the battle
East of Truth The British and Dutch East India Companies Through the Lens of PR, Propaganda, and Perception For marketers and PR professionals, reputation is currency. But what happens when history rewrites your press release?The British and Dutch East India Companies – two of the most powerful corporations the world has ever known – helped
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