The Price of Free Google Report.
Proton analyzed over 54,000 demographic profiles using 2025 ad auction data to estimate what advertisers pay to reach different types of Americans. The range is much wider than you might expect.
The average American generates about $1,605 a year in advertising value. A 35- to 44-year-old man in Bozeman, MT, without children, using a desktop and making high-value corporate searches, generates an estimated $17,929.30. An 18- to 24-year-old father in Fort Smith, AR, using an Android phone and making low-value searches, generates $31.05.
That’s a 577x difference between two people using the same free service.
How do you search for a restaurant or a barber when you’re in a city you’ve never been before? Or how do you rent a car on an airport in another country? You ask for a telephone book?
Walk up to somebody on the street and say "what's a good restaurant" or "my hair is out of control, I just got here and I need a haircut, stat"
I walk to the counter that says "rentals", because airports are used to this
Edit: sorry for answering the question I guess
I'm not the person you asked, but depending on the country you live, the good places like restaurants and markets may not be online, so we have to use good old word of mouth to find them. I used to search for all places online, but I had to learn the way of my ancestors to find the good stuff around here, because the places listed online are always the most expensive and presumptuous, while lacking actual quality.
But for things like electronics, cars and anything not available locally, it's really hard to even imagine viable anternatives to searching in the internet
my grandfather goes to the nearest building and asks. if they don't know he moves to the next person
No OP, but I have never done any of those things in your example.
Bullshit. Are you my 93 year old grandmother?
have you ever made a planned purchase? if so, it's almost imposible you were not influence by marketing even if it only was to narrow your choices to what's available in your market
marketing is EVERYWHERE… there is no escaping it unfortunately
Stripes, swoosh, "N" on shoes. Alligator or mini polo player on shirt. A horse hood ornament . A particular signature color, stitching. Ultrawealthy can recognize brands without logos.
I guess you can always buy the cheapest off-brand item without previous search...
sure but you cannot do that for every purchase in your life… and even the off-brands advertise and have exclusivity agreements for distribution
Like you don't research a place before you travel, or you just don't travel? Do you never research a product before purchasing or do you just work with whatever is available in your local store? If you're buying a car, is it just whatever is on the side of the road or do you search for expert reviews or reliability data?
Oh I was just talking about those particular examples.
I, for one, actively search out the reviews from entities that go out of their way to not be sponsored by the makers of the products they're reviewing.