Advertising examples surround us. Examples of advertisements greet us on our phones, our televisions, in our vehicles, and virtually everywhere we are and everywhere we go.
Now, just imagine a world without advertisements. Go ahead, we'll give you a minute...
Wow, how quiet was that? For some of you, it might have felt like the longest minute of your lives too, but there was something else missing. Did you notice?
Yes, you may have imagined a world without billboards, commercials, ad bots, and multimedia messages, among other advertising mediums. Yet, there was something else that was less obvious but far more important missing here–information.
You probably didn't notice, in your imaginary world without advertisements, the lack of information available to you. No reminders of where to get your next new car. No examples of advertisements for the latest deals at the grocery. No helpful advertisements helping homeowners find insurance. Nothing.
Perhaps a hundred years ago, businesses and customers could have gotten along fine without marketing and advertising. In the world today, however, for both businesses and customers, advertising isn't optional.