| ▲ | lm28469 2 days ago |
| If you waited for an ad to solve your "legitimate problem" you didn't have a problem to begin with imho |
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| ▲ | kube-system 2 days ago | parent | next [-] |
| No, there are very few markets in which all of the buyers have perfect information. It is extremely common in the science/technology sector that buyers aren't looking for a solution to a problem they have because they are under the impression that a solution doesn't exist. The archetypal business-school case study for this is the story of Viagra. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/03/27/viagra... But it applies to most new technology in a less dramatic sense. |
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| ▲ | kibwen 2 days ago | parent | next [-] | | If the implication is that the ad industry helps to address the problem of buyers having imperfect information, that couldn't be more wrong. The entire point of the ad industry is to muddy the waters and psychologically manipulate consumers. It's not even remotely interested in informing, it's interested in propagandizing. | | |
| ▲ | kube-system 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Obviously a gigantic industry has more than a singular impact on society. I only mentioned the one impact above because that was specifically the topic of discussion. There are also many reasons that the ad industry needs to be tightly regulated, of which your point is one. |
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| ▲ | lm28469 2 days ago | parent | prev [-] | | > No, there are very few markets in which all of the buyers have perfect information. This is solved by 5 minute of searches on the web in 99% of cases really. I never in my life bought something because I've seen an ad about it, meanwhile I solved countless of my problems by thinking about the issue and looking for a solution online or talking to people about it | | |
| ▲ | kube-system 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Absolutely! But, you're missing the cognitive part of this. People don't search for things that they don't think exists. |
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| ▲ | al_borland 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Having a problem and having a solution to that problem are two different things. I occasionally get the hiccups. When it happens, it’s a problem. There are many home remedies that exist, but nothing has ever actually worked. I was watching Shark Tank one day, which is basically a bunch of ads, and there was a guy selling the Hiccaway. Several years after seeing this, I decided to give it a shot. I’ve used it 2 or 3 times now and it’s instantly stopped my hiccups. I feel a little weird for a while afterward, but at least the hiccups stop. This was a legitimate problem and I waited for an ad to solve my problem, because nothing else I tried worked, and I didn’t know this thing existed until I saw the ad. I’ve also never heard anyone talk about it outside of Shark Tank, so word of mouth clearly isn’t doing much either (at least in my circles). The topic of hiccups doesn’t come up that often. Everyone gets hiccups, but they aren’t out there actively looking for solutions. It’s just something that happens, and it sucks. |
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| ▲ | lm28469 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Man if hiccups are a "legitimate problem" then indeed we are fucked... let's pollute everything irl and on the web with ads to solve these "problems"... where do we draw the line ? Because it sounds like we'll have an infinite amount of problems and we certainly don't have an infinite amount of resources btw you can also try looking for solutions on your own, like going to a doctor, searching online ? type "hiccups solution" online and hiccaway is on the front page. | | |
| ▲ | al_borland 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Humans are wired to have problems. If all your basic problems are solved (shelter, food, etc), you will start inventing problems. This finding and solving of problems has led to all the development in human society, for better or worse. It has been this finding and solving of problems that led to our standards for what solves a problem increasing as well, for better or worse again. I think everyone has looked for hiccups solutions at some point in their life, found them not to work, and gave up. That’s why I think this is a decent example. Adults aren’t actively searching for hiccup solutions. They gave up long ago, and most of the time, it isn’t something they think about. But when they happen, they kind of suck. Depending on when they happen, like before a big presentation, they can also be a major problem. People tend to overlook it, because they know there isn’t a real cure. I’m not arguing for more advertisements or hiccup commercials 24x7. But there is value to some way of creating awareness of new things that are actually useful. Most advertising is trying to manufacture problems or just keep a product you already know about in the front of your mind. This is probably 95% of advertising. My argument is for a way to surface that 5%. |
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| ▲ | hk__2 2 days ago | parent | prev [-] |
| You might not know it is a problem and that it is solvable. |
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| ▲ | elevatortrim 2 days ago | parent | next [-] | | Yes but the amount of that happening is nowhere near enough to justify the ad-world we are living in. | |
| ▲ | lm28469 2 days ago | parent | prev [-] | | Why would I care then? If people lived until now without it it can't be that big of a problem. Electricity, a car, a fridge, &c. solve legitimate problems. 99% of things being advertised today create the problem they solve and trick you into thinking you really need to solve this problem in your life |
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