We Have No Idea If Online Ads Work
This reminds me of a fascinating article in The New Yorker called "Twilight of the Brands." [0] The author's basic argument is that brands have historically filled an information gap. Before the Internet, when consumers didn't have tons of on-demand info about products, brands were a compass that pointed them in the right direction. If the last Sylvania TV you bought worked well, you might buy another one without hunting down reviews for the new model.<p>Now that product info is ubiquitous, the author says, the role of brands and traditional advertising is declining. So, when I hear critiques about a particular form of online advertising, I think about the broader, more subtle ways in which websites influence our purchases. Companies are starting to pay more attention to online forums and social sites, which are more persuasive to consumers than traditional banner ads.<p>[0] <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2014/02/17/140217ta_talk_surowiecki" rel="nofollow">http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2014/02/17/140217ta_...</a>