Last weekend, I stumbled upon the Netflix documentary “Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy,” and let me just say… mind. blown. As someone who’s been immersed in marketing classes and internships, I thought I understood the industry pretty well. But wow, this documentary opened my eyes to the sheer magnitude of consumerism and its devastating environmental impact.
The amount of stuff manufactured every single day is astronomical, and it’s not slowing down. Like, we’re talking numbers so high they’d make your head spin—and not in a good way. The documentary dives into how some of the biggest companies out there have dedicated teams whose sole job is to figure out how to make people buy more. It’s both fascinating and… a little sickening.
If you haven’t watched it yet, please add it to your watchlist. It’ll change how you think about shopping. Seriously, you’ll never look at those cute “limited edition” sales or endless rows of products in the same way again.
My Internal Tug of War
As someone studying marketing and dreaming of a career in digital strategy, watching this was a gut check. Marketing is all about creating desire—convincing someone they need something they didn’t even know existed five minutes ago. And let’s be real, that’s thrilling! There’s nothing like seeing your campaign go live and knowing it resonated with an audience.
But then there’s the flip side: that same campaign could be contributing to overproduction and overconsumption. It’s hard to ignore that nagging voice in my head asking, “Are you really helping people? Or are you just adding to the problem?”
It’s a wild dance of cognitive dissonance. On one hand, I love using my creativity and strategy skills to bring ideas to life. On the other, I can’t deny that our industry has a role in the environmental crisis.
So… What’s Next?
I think the big question for people like me—marketers who care about the planet—is: “How do we do better?”
The reality is, there’s no perfect solution. Even if you think you’re supporting an eco-friendly brand, there’s always the risk of greenwashing or hidden environmental costs. But I’ve realized that it’s not about being perfect. It’s about making more conscious choices wherever we can.
Here’s what I’m committing to:
- Learning constantly: I want to dig deeper into sustainable marketing practices and hold myself accountable to understanding the bigger picture.
- Advocating for change: Maybe it’s optimistic, but I believe that as the next generation of marketers, we can redefine the rules. We don’t have to follow the old playbook if it no longer serves the world.
- Being intentional: Whether it’s choosing brands to work with or crafting campaigns, I’ll aim to promote mindful consumption over mindless shopping.
At the end of the day, I know I can’t fix everything. None of us can. But if there’s one thing this documentary taught me, it’s that every small decision matters. Every campaign, every product launch, every brand partnership—it all adds up.
So here’s my challenge to you: watch “Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy,” and then take a hard look at the choices you make every day. Whether you’re a marketer, a consumer, or just someone trying to do their best in this complicated world, there’s always room to do a little better.