**IF ANYTHING, Skip down and watch the TED video below in its entirety - it's amazing!
Have you seen Coke's ingenious new share can - I would argue its quite the marketing miracle. Think about it, customers get half the amount of coke they usually receive and in return they get this hard-to-measure thing called "2x the happiness". Customers are giving up something in return for what? Here's the video
This concept I think well demonstrates how marketing is uniquely equipped to deal with an ever growing world with increasingly strapped resources. The intangible value added into the Coke Share Can is something that costs no extra money or resources - and yet the customer in the end is much more content with the user experience. Mathematically, Coca Cola is cleverly giving you the same - if not more - satisfaction for half the amount of product (which in the end is better for the world, I would argue - making us appreciate more while consuming less).
What placebo effect? - a good marketer would argue (as you'll see in the TED video below). If the customer in the end is more satisfied with the product isn't that better? If not, what is the customer really looking for then? There is nothing inherently wrong with added value, although sometimes it can get a bad rap.
I think we need to remind ourselves that marketing is not and should not be in the business of deceiving customers (Mad Men style). Marketing is ultimately in the business of creating additional value in our lives - hopefully so we can all live just a little bit richer. Don't believe me? Watch the video below - it's one of my all time favorite TED videos - a must watch!