Nestlet Marketing Tactic Repeated in AI Dependency

Normalizing the Elephant in the room

Artificial Intelligence is free, rapid given to masses with easy to access . When something is ‘free’ it usually means there is a hidden cost often you are the product . This strategy is implemented to feel exciting & irresistible but once you are hooked its incredibly hard to escape . This strategy is called Normalization . Its a technique used to desensitize and make a behaviours common.

This ideology is pushed and marketed to build trust , create dependence which in turn make you a profit .

Nestlé has been widely criticised for its marketing strategies in Africa, particularly during the 1970s baby formula scandal, where it promoted infant formula in ways that built trust but ultimately created harmful dependence. At first the formulas were free making it seem accessible. Once the people were normalized to Nestlé product, they created scarcity and inflation of price creating huge spike in infant mortality

This idea may seem far fetched, but AI marketers are using similar tactic to the use of AI in our everyday lives.

Nestlé’s marketing strategy in Africa can be directly compared to how AI is promoted today because both follow the same pattern of building trust, creating reliance and expanding usage. Nestlé used authority figures like nurse-like representatives and “scientific” messaging to make baby formula seem safe and superior which led to normalisation where people began to see formula feeding as the standard choice. Through repeated advertising, the illusory truth effect made seem like these claims seem true simply because they were heard so often, even if they were misleading. Over time, this also led to automaticity, where decisions became quick and unthinking, meaning users trusted and used the product without questioning it deeply.

Similarly, modern AI companies such as OpenAI promote AI using experts, influencers and constant exposure, making it feel essential for school, work and everyday life. This creates a sense that AI is necessary and trustworthy while potential risks like bias or misinformation may be downplayed. In both cases, the core strategy is the same: build trust through authority, normalise the product through repetition, encourage automatic use and ultimately create dependence that benefits the company rather than the future of the people .