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It doesn't have to be this way. It is possible to decline a money-making opportunity. Can you think of any businesses near you that have blank outdoor wall spac

It doesn't have to be this way. It is possible to decline a money-making opportunity. Can you think of any businesses near you that have blank outdoor wall space, even though they could make good money putting a billboard on it?

BitwiseFool 6y ago
In the State of Hawaii the Outdoor Circle successfully made billboards illegal. Businesses can still have signs on their storefronts but that's about it. Many mural artists have filled the void and you can see some in the news story below: https://www.civilbeat.org/2017/08/lets-preserve-and-perpetuate-art-in-public-places/ https://www.civilbeat.org/2017/08/lets-preserve-and-perpetua...
- burkaman 6y ago
  That's one way to deal with it, and in my analogy that would be equivalent to Substack banning ads within newsletters. But my point is that even where billboards are legal, most property owners choose not to install one. Why? It's because people are not money robots, and factor many other things into their decisions such as ethics, morals, personal preferences, cultural norms, etc. So, "ads make economic sense and are therefore inevitable" is a bad argument.
  - BitwiseFool 6y ago
    I misunderstood your post, my apologies. I just wanted to present Hawaii's lack of billboards as an aside. It's quite nice.
rchaud 6y ago
Physical ad spaces are not comparable to digital. A billboard can only show one ad at a time with no real targeting. A digital ad can use your browsing history to guess your preferences and show different ads to different users. Digital ads are also right there in front of you, and you can go from ad impression --> sale right there on the screen. If your billboard is on the side of your building, located in some remote office park, well, the reach isn't as good.
- black_puppydog 6y ago
  Sounds like you just compared them. Also sounds like the differences are in degree, not in kind.

BitwiseFool 6y ago

In the State of Hawaii the Outdoor Circle successfully made billboards illegal. Businesses can still have signs on their storefronts but that's about it. Many mural artists have filled the void and you can see some in the news story below: https://www.civilbeat.org/2017/08/lets-preserve-and-perpetuate-art-in-public-places/ https://www.civilbeat.org/2017/08/lets-preserve-and-perpetua...

burkaman 6y ago
That's one way to deal with it, and in my analogy that would be equivalent to Substack banning ads within newsletters. But my point is that even where billboards are legal, most property owners choose not to install one. Why? It's because people are not money robots, and factor many other things into their decisions such as ethics, morals, personal preferences, cultural norms, etc. So, "ads make economic sense and are therefore inevitable" is a bad argument.
- BitwiseFool 6y ago
  I misunderstood your post, my apologies. I just wanted to present Hawaii's lack of billboards as an aside. It's quite nice.

rchaud 6y ago

Physical ad spaces are not comparable to digital. A billboard can only show one ad at a time with no real targeting. A digital ad can use your browsing history to guess your preferences and show different ads to different users. Digital ads are also right there in front of you, and you can go from ad impression --> sale right there on the screen. If your billboard is on the side of your building, located in some remote office park, well, the reach isn't as good.

black_puppydog 6y ago
Sounds like you just compared them. Also sounds like the differences are in degree, not in kind.