Often in my life, I hear people discuss the industry giant that is advertising, and the villainy it has bestowed on our society. Whenever the conversation turns in this direction, people who know that I work in this industry often ask, “Do you think advertising is evil?”
Now of course, I may be biased, but my answer is always a clear and resolved no. Now the reason is complex, nuanced, and ever-changing, but it comes down to one simple fact: things only hold power if you allow them to.
Advertising itself is a mere concept, an inevitable method businesses must use to, well, do business. To exist in a capitalistic society, one must compete with others trying to do the same thing. And as our population grows, our ideas evolve, and our communications expand. Advertising must follow suit.
Back in the days of bartering goods and services, businesses thrived on the word of their customers, family, and friends. That concept is called “word-of-mouth.” As our society has grown and become modernized, the power of word-of-mouth remains. However, there are other factors that come into play: information overload, financial limitations, evolving behaviors, changing locations, and beyond.
Today, businesses prosper on the ability to stand out in a crowd while building and maintaining a high reputation for quality products or services. All that’s really changed is how we help them stand out.
Whether it’s a product placement in your favorite show, a mandatory pre-roll ad on Youtube, or a sponsored Instagram post, that mission to stand out and remain reputable is everclear.
If you don’t like what they’re selling, don’t buy it. If you don’t want to see ads for a product you have no interest in, don’t click on them. In the advertising world, as in the real world, you get out what you put in.
In this day and age, one fact stands: advertising is the backbone of our modern society. To resent it is to resent everything it affords, whether it’s a free Youtube app on your smart TV, a lucrative career as an Instagram model, the next action-packed Marvel movie, and even the Olympics. To enjoy any of these things is to recognize the value that advertising brings to you.
Now that we’ve got that question out of the way, here are a few other ones I’ll tackle while we’re here:
Q. Is Facebook too invasive?
A. Let’s get this straight: your personal information should never be hacked and sold to companies. Ahem, Cambridge Analytica. However, Facebook users should be better informed of how their activity is recorded on the internet, what privacy policies they agree to, and how all of their public behavior is used to market products to them.
Q. How does Amazon know what products to promote to me?
A. Every click you make, every ad you swipe, you’re creating a digital roadmap into your consumer mind. This is how businesses market on the internet, and how I’m sure you’ve found new products and brands you love. While it may feel a bit invasive, that is the nature of the internet as a universal resource. However, if you ever want to pull down the veil on this roadmap, you can always implement an Ad Blocker or go Incognito.
Q. I saw that product in the store and now it’s being promoted to me online. HOW????
A. Magic. No seriously, sometimes it’s hard to track the exact tactics you’ve engaged in to cause coincidental ads to appear on your feed. Sometimes I am amazed at the digital advertising anomalies I’ve experienced myself. However, I’ll summarize it as best as I know how: Every digital platform you engage with tracks your behavior, whether it’s Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and countless others. Watch a DIY Home Design video – get a Home Depot ad on your Facebook. View a couch on Amazon – see a promotional couch video from Pottery Barn. They’re all connected.
