Marketing in its current virulent incarnation is a scam, and front for wholesale population level surveillance. I've yet to see a convincing argument to the contrary.

All a business needs to be successful is a good product, and word of mouth. Advertising gets people to buy stuff they don't need. Instead companies scrimp on the product and spend more on advertising. The sooner society finds a way to clothe, house and feed everyone the better all of us and our planet will be.