AD-VERSE #1.06 Yes you Cannes.

Advertising doesn't work, does it?

Advertising doesn’t work (the way you think it does, maybe)

Advertising is either a total waste of time or it’s not, and no moderate opinions will be tolerated. Various versions of this point have been made since the 19th century when John Wanamaker pithily said, “Half my advertising spend is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half.”

But here’s a new one following IHM Markit’s research report, “The economic impact of advertising on the US economy”. According to MediaPost the conclusion to draw from a range of wiggly lines and words is that,

the combined direct and indirect effects of U.S. ad spending has a relatively minor impact on overall sales, and that the overwhelming majority happens without any advertising effect.

I quote them repeating themselves for effect, for effect,

In other words, those sales would have occurred without any ad spending at all.

This is either a very surprising finding to you, or it is not a surprising finding to you at all. You may experience a level …