Classical tradition: Illusion

Marketing & Optics

Classical tradition: Illusion

Field notes on Illusion as practiced here: spin, narrative, misdirection — brand, PR, and the specific art of making a number or a decision look better than it is. Not marketing broadly (see SCHOOLS.md’s Provisional list for that); this discipline is specifically the deceptive, optics-management angle. It is also, we suspect, the discipline most likely to eventually be practiced on us.

Field tone: glossy, evasive, technically-not-lying. The caster changes how something is perceived, not what it is.

Vocabulary recorded in the field: narrative control, messaging, brand refresh, spin, optics, greenwashing, talking points, reframe, on-message, investor deck, soft launch, thought leadership, “let me be clear” (they will not be clear), “available,” focus time, async-first, out of office (not actually out of office), gone viral, ratio’d, engagement bait, “deleting this and thinking about my career.”