I agree with the notion that it's manipulation, however, also in the context that almost all businesses are - vast swathes of the economy literally only exist to get people to do things they don't need to, and drawing a line through marketing over and above other elements always hurts since it's an easy target but not detached from other elements doing the same.
You're right that most marketing relies on human psychology, but I wouldn't call it weakness per se, it's the same areas that are influenced by all kinds of storytelling (whether that's film, fiction or marcomms).
Diving deeper, there's also a lot of "marketing" in nature, we look at the evolution of plants and animals whereby entire species have developed based on generating emotions and actions in other animals. Perhaps a tenuous connection :) but I always find it holds valid for me, we're designed to look for emotional triggers to influence what we do. Whether utilising these is "taking advantage" or not is where that personal interpretation comes in.
I'd also point out that advertising is a subset of marketing, but not all of it, it's probably the area that's most explicit in its intentions though, but things like content marketing are designed to influence you as much, whilst being more subversive about it.
You're right that most marketing relies on human psychology, but I wouldn't call it weakness per se, it's the same areas that are influenced by all kinds of storytelling (whether that's film, fiction or marcomms).
Diving deeper, there's also a lot of "marketing" in nature, we look at the evolution of plants and animals whereby entire species have developed based on generating emotions and actions in other animals. Perhaps a tenuous connection :) but I always find it holds valid for me, we're designed to look for emotional triggers to influence what we do. Whether utilising these is "taking advantage" or not is where that personal interpretation comes in.
I'd also point out that advertising is a subset of marketing, but not all of it, it's probably the area that's most explicit in its intentions though, but things like content marketing are designed to influence you as much, whilst being more subversive about it.