Marketing is 'evil,' but a tool for good, says Tajik e-commerce co-founder

Firuz Zainidini, a practicing marketer and co-founder of the AVVAL marketplace, described marketing as a powerful tool capable of both good and evil, likening it to medicine that can heal or poison depending on its use. Speaking on the TajTech project by “Asia-Plus,” Zainidini explored the development of e-commerce in Tajikistan, engagement with the local audience, the impact of AI, and his experience with the EBRD’s Star Venture startup program.

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For you, marketing is not so much a profession as a way of life and a worldview. Is that so? How did you come into marketing?

Zainidini, who has been in marketing since 2006, views the field as a way of life and a worldview. He entered the profession by chance after a friend invited him to work at a newly opened advertising agency. He adheres to the philosophy of David Ogilvy, a renowned advertiser, who stated, “If your wife wouldn’t buy it, don’t advertise it.” This principle guides Zainidini’s belief in approaching marketing honestly.

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I got into marketing, like many other stories in my life, by accident. A close acquaintance invited me to work at an advertising agency that had just opened. That’s how I ended up in this field. It was in 2006, and soon it will be 20 years.

He explained that marketing is not solely about influencing emotions but relies heavily on facts and data. Zainidini teaches that marketing is an intersection of three major sciences: biology, as humans are biological beings; psychology, due to its influence on behavior; and algebra, representing the mathematical and quantitative aspects. This interdisciplinary approach acknowledges the interplay of numbers, emotions, and human needs.

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Why did marketing become a way of life for me? Because in an advertising agency, you can’t just come to a client and promise something without results. We had to be accountable for everything we said, offered, and tested.

Despite marketing's potential for manipulation, Zainidini stressed that its ethical application depends on the user. He compared it to poison in medicine, highlighting that the dose and purpose determine its effect. Zainidini also drew on his extensive experience in project and team management, noting that he is part of the second wave of specialists developing e-commerce in Tajikistan. These early specialists, he said, were “many-handed,” needing to master various skills, from graphic design to copywriting.

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If your wife wouldn’t buy it, don’t advertise it.