Why Paying Attention Is Getting More Expensive

“Why did Google use billboard advertising to advertise its
advertisements?

“The company today put up a billboard in New York City to raise
awareness about Google display advertising. The company fears that
Madison Avenue and Wall Street think of Google as a search
advertising company, and forget the power of Google’s image, video
and audio ads.

“Of course, those ads are obviously not powerful enough —
ergo the billboard.

“There’s nothing new about a company seeking new ways to get the
attention of people whose attention is scarce and valuable. That’s
what all innovation in advertising strives for.

“The problem is that while marketers know how valuable the
public’s attention is, the public apparently does not. We gladly
choose “free” online services over paid services supported by
advertising.”

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