> Manipulation implies a level of deceit and deception that persuasion does not. Actually, if we're going to get into this nitpicky level of semantics, none of

> Manipulation implies a level of deceit and deception that persuasion does not. Actually, if we're going to get into this nitpicky level of semantics, none of the words "cleverly, unscrupulously, artful, unfair, insidious" mean "deceit" or "deception". I'd argue that advertising is pretty inherently unscrupulous, and if it's at all effective, it's clever, artful, and insidious. And you can argue all day long that it's not "especially to one's own advantage" or "to serve one's purpose", but the fact is that if it was really providing a service to customers and not just serving advertisers, that service would be better provided by a neutral third party (such as Consumer Reports, OutdoorGearLab, etc.). But while we're at it, plenty of advertising is deceitful and deceptive too, so even if that's a prerequisite for being manipulative, advertising is still often manipulative.