Péter Geszti: ‘We live in digital feudalism’

Trade magazin’s Business Podcast, Future Talks with Szilvia Krizsó continues

– You are a businessman, a producer, an advertising specialist, you write song lyrics and make music…what else are you?

– I am not a businessman: it is my wife who manages the business affairs, I just produce creative content!

„We live in a society smelling like dressing room”

– Are you not good at it or are you simply uninterested in the business side of things?

– I am not interested and because of this I am not good at it. I have taken part in many business ventures, but I share the profit with my partners exactly because I can buy my freedom this way.

– You say your business partners have never disappointed you. Is this because you can choose your partners well or have you simply been lucky?

– At the beginning I was lucky and I am the kind of person who gives a second chance.

Szilvia Krizsó, Pulitzer Prize awarded journalist

– In the summer I went to see you play with your band Jazz + Az. You have such great influence on your audience! Do you pay a big price for giving so much energy to other people?

– I have learned many things from many people. Andy Vajna told me: everything depends on preparation. If you prepare well, you will master the stage. I prepare a lot for these concerts.

– Your wife, Edit and you also work as producers, you do advertising campaigns and develop marketing strategies…are you a different person now than before?

– Today I do everything much more consciously. Those advertisements work well that have some kind of truth. Because the truth is always interesting and entertaining. Then older you are, the sooner you realise the truth and find a way to tell it. I know what I want to share with people and I still like playing.

– Can music help you prepare for implementing good creative campaigns?

– No, music stands in itself and it is more important than anything else. Writing songs and playing live is what gives my life a meaning.

– Many songs you wrote in the past are still relevant today …

– Those songs stay with us that contain an element of truth. We live in digital feudalism. Technology is available to us but the way we think is still feudal. Our society is patriarchal and hierarchal, but the good news is that the meaning of life is: what can you tell about this world, what can you add to life?

– We are living in a consumer society…but the more we consume, the worse things turn. What will be the fate of the advertising profession?

– This is a great dilemma with lots of contradiction. After each commercial there should be a 15-second spot that explains ‘We are selling a good product, but please don’t buy more than you need’. In 10-15 years’ time it will be totally uncool to sell anything without a warning like this.

– What do you think the world will be like in 2100?

– The climate will be hot and the world will be a scary place. I think soon we will only consume food produced in the region where we live.

„Music is the most important”

– Will we get to like changes any time soon?

– Yes, we will. Successful people have already been following the strategy of quick adaptation. If we want the planet to provide for our children as well, we must learn to accept the necessary changes. //

This article was also published in 11/2021 of Trade magazin.