To me the whole advertising racket has always seemed like a case of an emperor with no clothes. Has anyone here ever made a purchase that was influenced solely by an ad, or known any common folk who did?
Marketing spend, especially online, is one of the most studied inputs to business strategy. Long term lift studies of both brand and direct response advertising show that it absolutely drives consumer behavior. Whether or not that's good for consumers might be debatable. I'm happy to buy unbranded consumer packaged goods if I can ensure quality but there's a reason Procter and Gamble can make >50% gross margins.