The Theranos Website: Is Elizabeth Holmes a Bro Marketer?

Clickbait, false promises, “free” books that lead you through endless upsell screens…

In this special Awkward Marketing series, I break down the 5 worst types of website trends. I call this one: The Pretender aka The Theranos Website.

The Theranos Website will scam you out of your money but swear that it’s doing the right thing. Beware! The Theranos Website looks legit. It may even have testimonials and affiliate relationships with leaders you trust. But once you give Elizabeth Holmes your money, you’re not getting it back.

It may take years for the public to catch onto Theranos’s predatory ways, so trust your gut.

If a website’s promises sound too good to be true, they probably are.

What separates Elizabeth Holmes from bro marketers?

You be the judge. 


Watch the trailer for the HBO documentary this parody was based on: The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley.

Rachael Kay Albers

Rachael Kay Albers is a creative director, business comedian, and brand strategist gone wild. She writes and performs about branding, pop culture, tech, and identity. When she’s not muckraking about marketing, Rachael runs RKA ink, a reinvention studio and branding agency for businesses that burn the rulebook. She's also on Instagram a lot.