Building Trust in a Tech-Driven World
How the Marketing Accountability Council, Inspired by the Center for Humane Technology, is Leading the Shift Toward Transparent and Consumer-Centric Practices
While technological advances have transformed how we connect with consumers, they’ve also brought new challenges—particularly around the manipulative tactics and exploitative systems that have become embedded in marketing practices. The drive to maximize engagement, capture leads, and boost profits often results in strategies that degrade trust and undermine consumer rights. As businesses increasingly rely on technology to deliver their products and messages, we must ask: is this sustainable for building long-term customer relationships, or are we sacrificing trust for short-term gains?
“We do a bunch of stuff we know customers hate because we need to serve the business.”
This statement gets to the heart of the problem: marketers are often compelled to implement these tactics because they are pressured to deliver results within systems prioritizing profits over consumer well-being.
Take, for example, the gamification of e-commerce. Companies like Temu have integrated shopping with game-like features—spinning wheels, rewards, and constant notifications—that entice customers to engage, even when they don’t need the products. This promotes compulsive behavior and shifts the consumer's focus from genuine needs to momentary gratification.
Other practices that create friction for consumers include long forms, intrusive pop-ups, and hard-to-find unsubscribe buttons. While these methods may boost lead generation or prevent churn in the short term, they erode trust and customer loyalty in the long run. Marketers know these tactics are disliked but are pressured to use them because they lack influence over broader business strategies.
"We’re asked to be this whole lever and then not given the access to do it".
Advocating for Consumers: A New Role for Marketers
One of the most insightful moments in our conversation was recognizing that marketers have a broader responsibility: to advocate for consumers, not just generate leads or push products. Unfortunately, there’s a disconnect between the ethical values that many marketers hold and the pressures placed on them by exploitative business models. Industry bodies like the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAC) often push anti-consumer agendas, yet no major marketing organization focuses on defending consumer rights.
This is where the Marketing Accountability Council (MAC) steps in. Inspired by the Center for Humane Technology, the MAC is the only body dedicated to applying these principles directly to marketing practices. The Center for Humane Technology provides a guiding framework that identifies critical levers within organizations, enabling key stakeholders to advocate for ethical change—even when they don’t have access to every decision-making process. The MAC intends takes this model further by actively supporting marketers and their organizations in making sustainable, consumer-focused changes. Whether redesigning a more transparent customer experience or improving messaging clarity, the MAC empowers marketers to be champions for consumers and lead the shift towards more trustworthy, humane marketing practices.
Solutions and Moving Forward: Education, Training, and Action
So, where do we go from here? We outlined several key solutions to help move the industry toward more ethical practices:
Workshops and Training Programs: We’re developing educational programs that teach marketers to implement ethical, effective strategies. These will focus on real-world applications, not just theory, and offer marketers quick wins to show them the value of doing things right.
Accessible Resources: We’ll create content highlighting essential marketing principles, such as audience identification, clear messaging, and customer-centric strategies.
Community Building: We’re working on building a network of like-minded professionals who can share knowledge and support each other in advocating for ethical change.
Marketing Interventions: We floated the idea of staging marketing interventions—essentially calling out bad practices and offering a humane alternative. This would provide a direct, practical way to show businesses how to succeed without resorting to manipulative tactics.
Ready to Make a Difference?
If this article resonated with you, it's clear that you're passionate about creating a more ethical and humane future for marketing and technology. The Marketing Accountability Council (MAC) is a community of like-minded professionals dedicated to promoting responsible marketing practices that prioritize people over profit.
Join us in shaping a better digital world where transparency, fairness, and accountability are the new standards.
What you’ll get as a MAC member:
A supportive community of professionals working to make real change.
Resources to help you implement responsible strategies in your own work.
Opportunities to advocate for consumer rights and influence industry standards.
It’s time to take a stand. Become part of the solution.