What about the sneaker ways of advertising? Companies sometimes pay people to write reviews, even if they aren’t an influencer. This is because it looks like a “normal person” wrote it, so other people will be more likely to trust it.

You might hear some and not know it, there is a lot of noise in a lot of places. Free samples are also a form of advertising, as the company is paying for them to be given out. It might even be a little sticker on a box of something that you already buy. Grocery flyers are a form of advertising. Someone you know may be advertised to and love the product and recommend it. In that scenario, advertising to them would also affect you, even if you didn’t see or hear an ad. Scary stuff sometimes.

The easiest way to fall for it is to believe you are immune. Believing that you are immune to propaganda usually just eventually leads to letting more things slide. The only way to be sure is to be vigilant. Even then, it’s an odds game.