Heh, you've got a point, but simple brand recognition, or even making me aware of a product could be sufficient (I don't exactly buy into The Hidden Persuaders

Heh, you've got a point, but simple brand recognition, or even making me aware of a product could be sufficient (I don't exactly buy into The Hidden Persuaders thesis, read about half of it back in the '70s and ... wasn't persuaded ^_^). How many "X company is shutting down" HN items have you seen where you've never heard of the company in the first place?