http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing "Now I feel like I know less about what that blog is about than I did before." Sat, 25 Apr 2026 19:11:58 +0000 http://thetarpit.org hourly 1 http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-7105 Winter in the postmodern Soviets « The Tar Pit Thu, 29 Jan 2026 20:23:40 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-7105 [...] scooters or not, they'll just adapt the discourse to the "majority opinion", as formulated through focus groups, so that they get your [...] [...] scooters or not, they'll just adapt the discourse to the "majority opinion", as formulated through focus groups, so that they get your [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-6908 The perpetual transition « The Tar Pit Sat, 08 Nov 2025 19:50:58 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-6908 [...] One of the advantages of having a blog is that it makes it really cheap to remember things as they were then, even if through today's lens. The point being that you really can't blame Russia, covid or whatever other strawmen you've created for yourself for the situation that you've created for yourself. Say what you will, but I couldn't possibly believe that "150 dead in terror attacks" was an isolated incident -- it was quite the fucking omen of things to come, and that's the same point that I made then, even if I didn't state it explicitly. covid was just the consistent application of a marketing campaign. ↩ [...] [...] One of the advantages of having a blog is that it makes it really cheap to remember things as they were then, even if through today's lens. The point being that you really can't blame Russia, covid or whatever other strawmen you've created for yourself for the situation that you've created for yourself. Say what you will, but I couldn't possibly believe that "150 dead in terror attacks" was an isolated incident -- it was quite the fucking omen of things to come, and that's the same point that I made then, even if I didn't state it explicitly. covid was just the consistent application of a marketing campaign. ↩ [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-6459 The bubble « The Tar Pit Sun, 18 May 2025 08:43:45 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-6459 [...] let's take a moment to unpack this definition. For starters, all market segments are bubbles: for example, most sane people don't explicitly identify themselves based on what food [...] [...] let's take a moment to unpack this definition. For starters, all market segments are bubbles: for example, most sane people don't explicitly identify themselves based on what food [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-4114 The marks of decay « The Tar Pit Fri, 28 Apr 2023 19:21:46 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-4114 [...] article is for the most part a rewrite of the older piece on the failure of marketing, but more importantly, of (Western) civilization as a whole. It's been more than seven years since [...] [...] article is for the most part a rewrite of the older piece on the failure of marketing, but more importantly, of (Western) civilization as a whole. It's been more than seven years since [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-4082 Hill Climb Racing 2 « The Tar Pit Sat, 22 Apr 2023 09:30:03 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-4082 [...] the game is designed to emulate the most tedious bureaucratic hellpit you can imagine. According to marketing studies this is what supposedly keeps kids hooked, or at least this is the only explanation I can come up [...] [...] the game is designed to emulate the most tedious bureaucratic hellpit you can imagine. According to marketing studies this is what supposedly keeps kids hooked, or at least this is the only explanation I can come up [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-2118 The Profiling Machine « The Tar Pit Sat, 14 May 2022 18:59:57 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-2118 [...] A may tend to approve large particular subsets of O. This approach may even prove to be useful for marketing, and in particular for those with such inclinations, may end up an outright implementation of a [...] [...] A may tend to approve large particular subsets of O. This approach may even prove to be useful for marketing, and in particular for those with such inclinations, may end up an outright implementation of a [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-694 The cost of packaging « The Tar Pit Sat, 03 Jul 2021 08:47:23 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-694 [...] you gotta create a whole different assembly setup for the larger bottles, and all that rests on marketing study backing the thing with numbers and so on and so [...] [...] you gotta create a whole different assembly setup for the larger bottles, and all that rests on marketing study backing the thing with numbers and so on and so [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-511 Google, the "tech company" « The Tar Pit Thu, 11 Feb 2021 08:25:50 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-511 [...] sake of nothing else than progress in "tech" and "diversity". Not in order to keep its position in the market, surely; and not for the purpose of spying on and manipulating gullible folks all over the world, [...] [...] sake of nothing else than progress in "tech" and "diversity". Not in order to keep its position in the market, surely; and not for the purpose of spying on and manipulating gullible folks all over the world, [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-427 Utopia « The Tar Pit Wed, 14 Oct 2020 06:47:57 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-427 [...] such an irreversible manner that by now they'd indeed be much better off getting it over with. What marketing? what "great achievements of civilization"? the most they can get off on is pop music, McDonald's, [...] [...] such an irreversible manner that by now they'd indeed be much better off getting it over with. What marketing? what "great achievements of civilization"? the most they can get off on is pop music, McDonald's, [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-49 Player Piano « The Tar Pit Fri, 11 Oct 2019 10:42:55 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-failure-of-marketing#comment-49 [...] is satire. Satire of American democracy, satire of "progressive" "liberal" socialism, satire of endless PR, and, the most visionary and the best of them all, satire of "computers will make the world a [...] [...] is satire. Satire of American democracy, satire of "progressive" "liberal" socialism, satire of endless PR, and, the most visionary and the best of them all, satire of "computers will make the world a [...]

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