Marketing with integrity

We are all strategists and marketers to some degree.

When you try that new food place that blows your mind, you naturally share it.

For all the singles: when you join that dating app and upload your BEST profile photo—and shoot, maybe even your oldest photo, the one where you looked a little more fit. 😂 Naturally, you share.

Or maybe it's that movie you just watched that kept you on the edge of your seat and had you laughing again and again. You share.

We share in the most convincing way we can to promote a product, sell a service, or spread the word about something we loved and experienced. That's life—and it's also marketing.

Marketing is "the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service."

I’m reminded of the scripture: Matthew 23:25-28. It was a warning from Jesus to the religious leaders of the time. Throughout the passages Jesus shares these "woes" that are expressions of grief and denunciation:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

The Pharisees were religious teachers and scribes. As teachers of the Law, they should have been the chief examples for others to follow. Jesus challenged them because what they displayed outwardly was often for show, while inwardly they were not truly aligned with their actions.

We see this so often—not just in religious contexts, but outside of them too.

Think about commercials that highlight only the best features of a product. A well-lit, cinematic, juicy burger appears perfectly crafted. Yet when we purchase it, we get what feels like a completely different product. Different proportions. Different presentation. Sometimes it seems like an entirely different burger altogether.

I believe there should be integrity in our marketing.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't highlight a product or service in its best light. I think it simply means highlighting it in its truest light.

We're seeing this work well across social media right now. Brands are leaning into authenticity. You can hop onto almost any viral TikTok or Instagram post and see major brands joining the conversation. Whether it's a cheeky comment, a humorous response, or participation in a trend, they're showing up with the voice of an actual human—not the voice of an out-of-touch corporation.

iPhone-style content is blowing up. Unscripted reels perform well. This generation craves that.

Nothing overproduced. Nothing overly commercial.

Just as it is.

The heart behind a marketer should be to sell with integrity. Sell what is true. What people see on the outside should reflect what's true on the inside.

The Pharisees and religious leaders were in the business of overvaluing and overselling. Today, as a generation of Christ-followers and natural marketers, we should aim to communicate what is true and authentic.

That's how we stand apart.

Bring people behind the scenes. Show them the progress and the process. Lose the overly polished narrative and lean into the authentic one.

People connect with people.

People connect with stories.

And people are more likely to buy your product or service when you shift from "selling" to simply serving.

Matthew 23:11-12 says:

"The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."