If we want to talk about media, then a door-to-door salesman isn't quite the right analogy. I think the closest analogy would be the Pennysaver or those throwaw

If we want to talk about media, then a door-to-door salesman isn't quite the right analogy. I think the closest analogy would be the Pennysaver or those throwaway used car classifieds that you find at supermarkets. But the point is that is now everywhere. All online advertising has become the Pennysaver. And that's significant. Jason L Baptiste brings up a good point though: there are still places where premium ads may make sense. Email lists like Thrillist, etc. are a bright spot. But even then, paid placement can hurt instead of help. If I'm a nightclub venue and Thrillist could have covered my venue as a legitimate story, I would prefer that 10 times out of 10 over having to pay for placement, which invariably still signals that I need to advertise. (Undercurrent: Only low-status businesses need to advertise.)