It’s easy to think your advertising budget is simply the amount you spend on ads. But when you work with traditional media companies or full-service agencies, what you see isn’t always what you get. Knowing how to spot hidden costs can make the difference between a campaign that works and one that quietly drains your budget.
Yesterday my neighbor told me about a couple of packages she received in the mail, but didn't order. The first was marked as coming from Walmart and contained a bag of cough drops. The second, an envelope that seemed to be from Amazon that had a single paper plate inside. Anyone who buys online these days would be leery of receiving anything for free...and the paper plate?!? It's unnerving for the recipient, but why would anyone send free goods or a package that contained essentially nothing? The reality is that verified reviews are so valuable that shady online retailers are working the system to try to boost their store's ratings. It goes something like this...
