Hi ArtistsOwnMusic! Thanks for the follow and for your response. I totally get where you’re coming from. Yet, if you actually follow through with the scarcity — having a week to sign up for a concert’s early bird special, etc. — I wouldn’t consider that being inauthentic.

Now, if you are just saying it to trick people into buying the product or service, like a lot of marketers seem to do, then that is not okay and warrants getting pissed — I know I get pissed when that happens to me.

I think it comes down to intentions. For me as a consumer, if someone I trust and know will provide me with value uses a tactic to get my attention I’m completely okay with it. If someone uses it to take advantage of me, I’m super pissed off.

Seth Godin delineates the line between marketing and manipulation as this: with manipulation, you’re upset that you got ripped off for paying for a product or service. For marketing, after you pay for the product or service you’re happy it crossed your path.

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on this, and if my message in this article came across as anything but genuine, then I personally apologize.