Marketing used to be about identifying consumer needs and making a product or service that satisfies those needs. Not anymore, according to the timely new Netflix documentary “Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy.” As Americans across the country vie for the best Black Friday deals, Nic Stacey’s documentary offers a sobering look at a culture that has become obsessed with consumption and the companies that fuel that obsession.
I thought I was cynical enough about the role of big business in our capitalist doom spiral. After watching “Buy Now!” however, I am now even less hopeful that business can be asked to break the devastating cycle of sell, buy and discard.
After watching ‘Buy Now!’ however, I am now even less hopeful that business can be asked to break the devastating cycle of sell, buy, and discard.
In 1970, pre-eminent economist Milton Friedman told The New York Times that the unbridled pursuit of profit should adhere to the basic rules of society, both legally and ethically. But Stacey has now convinced me that business is no longer conforming to the “basic rules of society” — neither legally nor ethically.
The film begins by arguing that big business has no conscience. That’s not a new idea. Business history is replete with stories of ethically bankrupt companies. But the film structures its thesis via “five rules of profit maximization.” These rules, it argues, have made it so we simply cannot trust businesses to act in the interest of greater good.
The first rule of the doc is “sell more.” Encouraged by people like Friedman, industry has become very adept at creating an unending stream of buying opportunities. The fast-fashion industry is a good example (think online clothing companies like Shein). A recent study estimated Shein creates 1.3 million new items every year. And as has been well documented, many of these items end up in landfills or piled up on the shores of countries like Ghana. Out of sight and out of mind. Amazon’s one-click buying button is another example of a savvy convenience that encourages us to pull the proverbial trigger, over and over and over again.
The second rule of profit maximization is “waste more.” Examples of our throwaway mentality are clothes that quickly shrink, stain and tear, appliances that don’t last, and phones whose limited battery life practically requires regular replacement. In 2022, the United Nations estimated that 5.3 billion mobile phones would be thrown out by the end of the year.
Sadly, business is complicit in all of this, with some companies making it difficult or simply not cost effective to repair their products. Some companies may even design their products in such a way that makes repairs impossible. This “planned obsolescence” is a particularly damaging aspect of the consumption cycle. But perceived obsolescence is also part of this problem, wherein constant style changes and “updated” product designs render early models obsolete, even if they technically still work.
The third rule of profit maximization is “lie more.” I found this portion of the film to be particularly depressing. Businesses lie to us constantly, from the now scientifically dubious theory that drinking wine every day is inherently healthy to the myth that recycling is both widespread and effective. My doctoral dissertation was on ecologically conscious (green) consumer behavior. But those recycling labels on products are more about making us feel better than anything else. We are being overrun, to the tune of 400 million tons of plastic waste produced a year. And it’s getting worse. The third rule of profit maximization is ‘lie more.’ I found this portion of the film to be particularly depressing. Companies, the film argues, are experts at “green washing,” lying about how their products are recycled after use. Coca-Cola is currently being sued by environmental activists who claim its sustainability claims are all just another marketing ruse. The Center for Climate Integrity, a fossil-fuel accountability advocacy group, published a report in February alleging that companies have known for decades their claims about recycling were simply false. And yet they kept telling us the exact opposite. The evidence is as clear as it is disheartening. As the documentary continued, I began to feel the need to join a 12-step program for wayward marketers. But the pain was not over yet. The film’s fourth rule of profit maximization is “hide more.” Electronic waste recycling? Don’t even ask. Meanwhile the images of 20-foot-high stacks of clothing piling up on the beaches of Ghana were repulsive. This country of 30 million people receives approximately 15,000,000 pieces of used clothing every week. There’s a giant collection of plastic and other garbage floating in the North Pacific Ocean. This “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” has a cute nickname, but an ugly punchline. We are poisoning our planet. The film’s fifth and final rule of profit maximization is “control more.” Businesses must control the narrative. Employees who don’t follow along are as disposable as the tons of plastic we throw away every day. Repeat the lie enough and hopefully it becomes reality. Never apologize. Never confront the consequences of your actions. Hide the garbage, push the plastic into the ocean, ship the rags and old phones to Africa. Keep calm and consume on.
James A. Roberts
James A. Roberts is the Ben H. Williams professor of marketing at Baylor University, where he has been a member of the marketing faculty since 1991. He has published approximately 125 articles in numerous academic journals and at conferences around the world and is the author of two books, “Shiny Objects” and, most recently, “Too Much of a Good Thing: Are You Addicted to your Smartphone?” 
