Marketing’s Biggest Scam

Another day, another marketing buzzword. Now it’s regenerative marketing.

Apparently, growth marketing is over. Philip Kotler, the guy who literally wrote the marketing textbook, says businesses need to stop extracting value and start giving back. Fix communities. Restore ecosystems. Be the good guys.

Sounds nice. But let’s be real. Most companies won’t do this.

The Truth? They’ll Fake It.

Marketers are fantastic at rebranding the same old tactics.

• Call customers a “community” so they spend more.

• Run “sustainability” campaigns while polluting in the background.

• Talk about “giving back” while squeezing every cent from the market.

It’s not marketing’s fault. The system rewards short-term wins. Nobody is throwing out their quarterly targets because Kotler said so.

Who’s Actually Doing This Right?

A handful of brands actually build something better. Patagonia. Who Gives A Crap. Ecosia. But they didn’t just change their marketing. They built their businesses differently from day one.

That’s the real test. If your business model stays the same, calling it “regenerative marketing” is just another LinkedIn flex.

The Question You Should Be Asking

Are you actually changing the game? Or just changing the label?