I hate marketing

Why the truth is the best marketing strategy in 2026

I truly believe that marketing is the source of a lot of evil in the world.

Marketing is the reason why desperate people in pain take pharmaceutical drugs and ignore the side effects.

Marketing is the reason why people sign up for online gambling accounts when they don’t have a penny in their bank accounts.

Marketing is the reason why people buy diet coke as a “healthy” alternative to full-sugar soda (no shame to anyone… Diet Coke is terribly delicious).

The reason why traditional marketing is so damaging is because it has always followed a simple formula:

“Ignore the bad and overweight the good.”

And for centuries, this formula worked. For most of history, consumers didn’t have enough information to weigh the good and bad for themselves.

In the absence of good information…. all you needed was authoritative branding to convince folks that something was true.

But times are a-changing, and they are a-changing quickly.

Consumers now have access to more information than ever, which means that brands and corporations aren’t able to Febreeze over their bulls**t as easily as they used to… and those that try to do so are routinely getting exposed.

Everyday, a new scandal emerges about the hidden costs of a product or service….

• RoundUp kills your weeds, but it also gives you cancer 🤷‍♂️

• Subway says “eat fresh”, but uses yoga mat materials in their bread 🤷‍♀️

• Johnson and Johnson baby powder sure smells nice…. but it………… also…….. gives you cancer 🤷

And despite scandal after scandal, bless their hearts, most of the world’s marketers still think that lying is the best way to promote something, despite the diminishing returns (and massive risks).

So… why should YOU care?

Well, my dear friend, this presents a unique opportunity.

People are desperate for the truth right now… and when they hear it - it cuts through the noise like a hot knife through butter.

The truth is so rarely told, that when we hear it, it grabs our attention immediately.

Which, ironically…. is the goal of marketing in the first place.

We are living through one of the most significant and seismic shifts in marketing of all time… where the most effective way to get people’s attention isn’t through half-truths and flashy lies.

It’s by simply telling the truth.

And most of the world’s marketers haven’t caught on yet… or they’re so entrenched in their own lies that they’re unable to make the shift to the new reality.

Which means that there is a big, gaping opportunity for independent folks like you and I to take advantage of.

Let me show you how:

---

Example Number One: My company, MAD Records, teaches business skills to artists, producers, and musicians through our $10/month online community and our mentorship programs.

Most of our competitors who teach “music promotion” follow the traditional marketing strategy of over-inflating their resumes, overpromising results, and repeatedly bending the truth.

As I mentioned earlier, this presents an opportunity for MAD Records to stand out from the crowd… simply by telling the truth.

So here are two pitches for MAD Records… one following the “traditional” approach, and one that simply tells the truth. You tell me which is more compelling.

---

Traditional Approach:

Want to turn your passion for music into a full-time career?

In 2020, I quit my corporate career and launched my solo music project, where I racked up hundreds of thousands of streams on my debut release and performed at some of the most iconic venues with my indie-rock band, “telco”.

I’ve worked with Grammy-winning producers in some of the nicest studios in the world… and now I’m ready to share what I’ve learned about the industry so you can follow your dreams like I did.

So if you want to achieve massive streams on your music, get the attention of major labels and publishers, and turn your love of music into a full-time career in no time…. join our mentorship program before space runs out!

---

It’s a little goofy, but this actually isn’t far off from a lot of the ads that I get in my feed from “music promotion gurus” all the time. Sure, the information is “true”…. but it’s wayyyyyyy out of context and overinflated….. and most likely, you can sniff that out when you hear it. It just feels…. icky.

Here’s an alternative approach where I tell the actual truth instead.

---

Alternative Approach:

Hi, my name is Michael.

In 2020, I quit my career on Wall Street to launch my solo music project, “telco”.

I spent years desperately promoting my music… paying for playlisting and blog features, launching ad campaigns, hiring PR companies, and aimlessly creating content on social media… and although my streaming count was growing exponentially, I was losing a sh**load of money and it felt like I wasn’t actually creating a sustainable fanbase that I could actually monetize.

After years of bashing my head against the wall, I eventually burned out.. and I shut down my music project completely.

I spent the next few years helping to build an online music production school called Mastering.com, where I re-connected with my business background and honed my skills as an entrepreneur.

Eventually I realized that the reason that my music project failed wasn’t because the music was bad… it was because I wasn’t actually treating my music career like an entrepreneur. I was too emotionally connected to my music to see where I was making bad business decisions.

Now, it’s my mission to help artists to learn the fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship, so they don’t fall into the same traps I did as an artist.

So if you want to work towards building a real, sustainable career, check out my free newsletter here:

---

Now, which of these is more compelling? (Be honest, let me know in the comments.)

I’m guessing that most of y’all will resonate more with the alternative approach… because it actually feels real, right?

The alternative approach tells the whole truth, not just the truths I want you to see. It highlights my failures and successes, and tells a complete story that is actually believable.

And chances are, you likely feel a lot more trust towards the alternative version, even though I repeatedly emphasized how much I’ve failed at this endeavor.

The truth resonates… but it has to be the whole truth.

“Michael, sweetie, this is all great, but how does this apply to my music career?”

Well, let’s try a music example now:

---

Example Number Two: Sandy is a 50-year old singer-songwriter who works full-time in IT and writes really beautiful songs about her family and her life, and she is about to release her first album and is hoping to build a small but loyal fanbase.

Traditional Approach:

It’s almost here! Mark your calendars!

My debut album, “Life So Far” is premiering on all streaming platforms next month, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. If you’re a fan of Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers, or The Head and the Heart, then you’re going to love my new album. This album features my debut single, “Hope”, which was recently featured on XYZ Blog as their “Track of the Week”. Presave the album here!

---

Alternative Approach:

They say that once you reach a certain age, you stop listening to new music…. but maybe that’s because new music doesn’t actually speak to an older audience.

My name is Sandy, and I am a singer-songwriter who writes about real life for people of all ages. My songs are about raising a family… working full-time…. struggling to pay your bills… and all of the ups and downs in between.

If you’re looking for new music that you can actually relate to… you can check out my debut single, “Hope” from my upcoming album, “Life So Far” via the link in my bio… thanks for stopping by!

---

See the difference?

The first approach tries to sound super polished… as if it’s coming from well-known, established artist. It uses blog features and similar artists to give the appearance of credibility even though the artist has yet to release music and establish a fanbase. It also doesn’t acknowledge any of the unique characteristics of the artist.

The second approach is much more intimate and vulnerable… and embraces what makes this artist unique - her age, her full-time job, and her unique perspective.

While most artists over 30 try to hide their age, this approach confidently embraces it and uses it as a selling point for their audience.

While most artists try to hide their full-time careers, this approach confidently embraces it and uses it as a selling point for her audience.

The whole thing feels real, and it speaks to real issues that will resonate with her target audience.

---

I hate marketing as much as you probably do.

But thankfully, telling the truth is quietly replacing traditional marketing… even if putting it into practice is easier said than done.

Here are some tips to help ensure you don’t get too “market-y” with your marketing.

1. Acknowledge what you want to hide. Whatever flaw or failure you think will ruin you is what will actually make people trust you. People want to see a real person. Don’t be embarrassed of being a real human being.

2. Be original. If telling the truth results in something totally different…. then good! That’s the point. Don’t try to sound like other people, and don’t use generic filler just because it sounds formal.

3. Be humble, not a victim. If you notice in my MAD Records example, I acknowledge my failures and missteps without sounding “poor me”. I’m not blaming myself or playing the victim, I’m just acknowledging my mistakes and being honest about them.

Want to practice? Drop your introduction in the comments with these concepts in mind.

And if you’re sick of traditional marketing and old-school thinking… then you should join the MAD Records Collective where you’ll get access to our private community, monthly masterclass sessions and networking meetings, our 10-Week Music Business Curriculum, and a whole lot more by upgrading to a $10/month subscription here:

Long live good music 🫡⚔️

Michael from MAD Records