Advertising helps people learn knowledge that may save them money. For example, if there is some unadopted technology that is useful to many, entrepreneurs would advertise, and continue advertise until all potential consumers used that technology. Advertising is a division of labor. Instead of the consumer waste their time to find important knowedge, advertisers specialize in educating the consumer, which would shift the resources from the consumer to the advertiser.
But some types of knowledge cannot be profitable to the advertiser. These kinds of knowledge are not yet proven by technology or efficiency. Thus, consumers do not have the incentive to use that knowledge.
They do have the incentive to use knowledge such as technology because they would save money.
Some knowledge is inhibited by the state from advertising, such as the knowledge about water fluoridation. Entrepreneurs do not have the incentive to advertise water fluoridation because most water is publically funded. If water is allowed to be privatized, entrepreneurs are quick to provide information about the harms of water flouridation so consumers would have the incentive to buy their non-flouridated water.
Some entrepreneurs can "exploit" the ignorance of the consumer. For example, assuming global warming is false, advertisers would advertise their environment friendly products, even though they are useless.
The most visible abouse of consumers is political advertising. Politicians exploit the consumer by advertise false stuff.
The majority of humans are ignorant. They cannot even survive, without the knowledge advertised by entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs help people buy homes and food.
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