Is that what's actually happening though? Is there any persuasive evidence that people are, en masse, being 'tricked' into buying things they "don't want"? It

Is that what's actually happening though? Is there any persuasive evidence that people are, en masse, being 'tricked' into buying things they "don't want"? It seems to me that a much more persuasive case can be made that on the margin, some people flip between this product or that for meaningless reasons, but for the most part, advertising informs people of the existence of products that might improve their lives.