Have you ever heard the term ‘Trojan Horse’? We tend to use it to refer to something that is not what it appears to be. The reason? In Greek mythology, during the Trojan War, the Greeks used a horse to get into Troy. The Trojans thought it was an offering to them and a peace symbol, but it wasn’t — inside of it, there were soldiers who helped the Greeks open Troy’s walls.

In marketing, we’re seeing a lot of companies doing this same practice: offering you something that seems free, when in reality it isn’t — there’s a lot behind that ‘free’ offer. That’s what we call Trojan Horse Marketing.

Some marketers argue it’s a legit practice, since customers are free to choose whether to take a membership, download an app, or accept a free item. And in a way, that’s true — but you can’t ignore the fact that you’re still deceiving the customer. Yes, it helps sell a lot, but at what cost?

For me, it’s more important to be honest with your customers, even if it means selling less. In the end, you won’t just make a sale — you’ll gain a loyal customer who trusts your brand and identifies with what it stands for.

A good example is Nubank, one of the biggest and most disruptive banks in LATAM. How did they manage to compete against the big banks? With a simple offer: transparency. They promise to skip the long, confusing paperwork nobody understands, and tell you exactly what they’ll charge you. In my opinion, that transparency is one of the reasons they’ve been breaking into markets across the region. The banking industry tends to rely a lot on Trojan Horse Marketing — and that’s precisely what makes Nubank disruptive: instead of hiding the fine print, they lead with it.

At the end of the day, new generations are getting better at spotting the trojan horse in their lives. And in most cases, they don’t just avoid the trap themselves — they warn their friends and family not to fall into it either. Companies that keep relying on this practice will eventually lose relevance, especially with the generations that are learning to see right through it.