---

@brerrabbit585 wrote:

I think we have a different definition of the word influence. I go by the Oxford dictionary's definition which means that it has power over me or has an effect on my actions.

 

 

---

Not really. What I am suggesting is that the ad did have an affect on your actions. If you had not remembered it, you could not have taken the action of sharing the anecdote. Your post would have been completely different (or perhaps non-existant) if you had not remembered that singular ad from long ago.

Plus, if you consciously avoid a product because of an ad, that is influence also - the ad is affecting your choices and behaviour... While it may not be the intention of an ad, you're still retaining awareness of the brand, and likely spreading that awareness whenever you tell someone you won't buy X product; that sort of thing is not always counter-productive for a brand. Outrage marketing increased Nike's value by billions. 

But, if people would prefer to believe advertising (and to be clear, I am using this term in its broadest of terms) has no effect of them whatsoever, so be it. I don't gain anything by convincing them otherwise.

@countess, if interested in some further reading, have a dive into parasocial interaction / relationships, and how that's leveraged by brands, celebrities, sports teams, internet "influencers" etc, into $$$ 🙂