22 ms·

> designed to convince you to do things you wouldn't normally do. When I search "good USB charger" in Google and get an ad, click the ad and make a purchase fo

by mbesto 6y ago

> designed to convince you to do things you wouldn't normally do. When I search "good USB charger" in Google and get an ad, click the ad and make a purchase for a USB charger, how was that nothing something I normally would do? There's absolutely deceptive advertising, but to pretend all advertising is "intrusive" and "convincing you to do things you wouldn't normally do" is disingenuous.

falcolas 6y ago
How much toothpaste do you use on your toothbrush? Something the size of a pea, or the whole length of your toothbrush? 'Cause all you need is the first, but most people do the second. Why? Ads. Why do people have such a great impression of John Deere tractors? To the point where there's a whole culture of "green iron" and other companies had huge trouble breaking into the market? Ads. Ads going back to childhood in the form of toys. Why do folks trust some brands, and not others? Why is brand recognition such an influential thing when it comes to making purchasing decisions? Why do children beg their parents for certain toys? Why do adults pick TGI Friday's over the diner next door? Ads. EDIT: I think it's worth flipping the question a bit as well. Why would companies pay for ads if they had no value, if they did not change our behavior? If we'd do something naturally, there would be no need for ads in the first place.
- mbesto 6y ago
  > if they did not change our behavior? If we'd do something naturally, there would be no need for ads in the first place. How would you find a USB charger brand if you were unaware of any to begin with? > Why do folks trust some brands, and not others? So then why even have a brand to begin with? Are you suggesting we just ban all advertising altogether? When you start a new company, new market, new idea, then what would you suggest that isn't advertising for a company to do to explain to customers what it is you do and how you may help them?
  - falcolas 6y ago
    There is a vast world of difference between putting out to the public "I sell X" and following you around the internet to auctioning a consumer's eyeballs to the highest ad bidder. Or intentionally changing your behavior with their ads (the toothpaste one being the simplest to understand). Trying to conflate the two as equivalent when someone says "ads are toxic" in the context of the online ad industry is doing the argument no good. > How would you find a USB charger brand if you were unaware of any to begin with? Why search for a brand, and not a high quality, well reviewed USB charger? To use the original example, googling for "good USB charger" and then buying one via an ad will not give you any guarantees that the USB charger is good. All it guarantees is that they paid the most to get your eyeballs on that particular search.
    - mbesto 6y ago
      > Why search for a brand, and not a high quality, well reviewed USB charger? This is where you lost me. You assume: 1. There is a free service that allows you to search products. PS - it's called Google/Amazon. 2. There is a free service that allows you to read product reviews. PS - it's called Google/Amazon. > To use the original example, googling for "good USB charger" and then buying one via an ad will not give you any guarantees that the USB charger is good. And please do tell me, where does this perfect search capability exist in the world that allows one to search for goods and services free from all advertising. Even a Turkish Bazaar merchant will tell you that the tube of toothpaste they're selling you last only a month.
      - falcolas 6y ago
        > where does this perfect search capability exist in the world that allows one to search for goods and services free from all advertising. That an alternative is not easily available, does not somehow make the existing services ethical. That said, and the mystical service is called your friends/family/neighbors/colleagues/etc. It ain't perfect, but it's remarkably effective. In the 2-300 people in your first and second degree networks, there's probably a few anecdotes to help you find a good product. It even has a neat name: word of mouth.
    - bozzcl 6y ago
- djoldman 6y ago
  If a company has a service or product they want to sell and no one knows about it, no one will purchase it. The minimum advertisement is essentially: "we sell ____." I guess that could be called manipulative but without it, I'm not sure the economy could exist.

by mbesto 6y ago

falcolas 6y ago

How much toothpaste do you use on your toothbrush? Something the size of a pea, or the whole length of your toothbrush? 'Cause all you need is the first, but most people do the second. Why? Ads. Why do people have such a great impression of John Deere tractors? To the point where there's a whole culture of "green iron" and other companies had huge trouble breaking into the market? Ads. Ads going back to childhood in the form of toys. Why do folks trust some brands, and not others? Why is brand recognition such an influential thing when it comes to making purchasing decisions? Why do children beg their parents for certain toys? Why do adults pick TGI Friday's over the diner next door? Ads. EDIT: I think it's worth flipping the question a bit as well. Why would companies pay for ads if they had no value, if they did not change our behavior? If we'd do something naturally, there would be no need for ads in the first place.

mbesto 6y ago
> if they did not change our behavior? If we'd do something naturally, there would be no need for ads in the first place. How would you find a USB charger brand if you were unaware of any to begin with? > Why do folks trust some brands, and not others? So then why even have a brand to begin with? Are you suggesting we just ban all advertising altogether? When you start a new company, new market, new idea, then what would you suggest that isn't advertising for a company to do to explain to customers what it is you do and how you may help them?
- falcolas 6y ago
  There is a vast world of difference between putting out to the public "I sell X" and following you around the internet to auctioning a consumer's eyeballs to the highest ad bidder. Or intentionally changing your behavior with their ads (the toothpaste one being the simplest to understand). Trying to conflate the two as equivalent when someone says "ads are toxic" in the context of the online ad industry is doing the argument no good. > How would you find a USB charger brand if you were unaware of any to begin with? Why search for a brand, and not a high quality, well reviewed USB charger? To use the original example, googling for "good USB charger" and then buying one via an ad will not give you any guarantees that the USB charger is good. All it guarantees is that they paid the most to get your eyeballs on that particular search.
  - mbesto 6y ago
    > Why search for a brand, and not a high quality, well reviewed USB charger? This is where you lost me. You assume: 1. There is a free service that allows you to search products. PS - it's called Google/Amazon. 2. There is a free service that allows you to read product reviews. PS - it's called Google/Amazon. > To use the original example, googling for "good USB charger" and then buying one via an ad will not give you any guarantees that the USB charger is good. And please do tell me, where does this perfect search capability exist in the world that allows one to search for goods and services free from all advertising. Even a Turkish Bazaar merchant will tell you that the tube of toothpaste they're selling you last only a month.
    - falcolas 6y ago
      > where does this perfect search capability exist in the world that allows one to search for goods and services free from all advertising. That an alternative is not easily available, does not somehow make the existing services ethical. That said, and the mystical service is called your friends/family/neighbors/colleagues/etc. It ain't perfect, but it's remarkably effective. In the 2-300 people in your first and second degree networks, there's probably a few anecdotes to help you find a good product. It even has a neat name: word of mouth.
  - bozzcl 6y ago
djoldman 6y ago
If a company has a service or product they want to sell and no one knows about it, no one will purchase it. The minimum advertisement is essentially: "we sell ____." I guess that could be called manipulative but without it, I'm not sure the economy could exist.