The Art of War in Manufacturing Consumer Consent: Strategy, Business Culture and Ethics in Marketing Management

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to use principles from Tzu's The Art of War to develop a conceptual framework for the exploration of brand persuasion and the manufacturing of consumer consent and consumption.

Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual framework is based upon formal theoretical links between Tzu's concept of engagement and the political economic aspects of Herman and Chomsky with regard to manufacturing consent and consumption engineering via use of the mass media.

Findings
Within the framework, the consumer is simultaneously the enemy, the manipulated target for consumption engineering, and the protected person in the sales “war”. The business culture and ethical considerations of such a position are examined, and hence the paper offers a novel insight into how theoretical concepts link political, social, and commercial paradigms in order to gain insight into market interventions, consumption engineering, and marketing leverage.

Originality/value
The paper contributes to the body of knowledge by examining the relationship between Chinese and Western theoretical concepts while providing insight for executives seeking to leverage marketing strategy.