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Can you name any large company that has gotten to where it is without advertising?

Google won the search engine market because it was objectively better and thus spread through word of mouth. The first time I saw Google run actual ads was when they pushed Chrome hard.

Facebook also spread mostly through word of mouth and only started doing ads when its public image deteriorated.

(Side-note: I'm in Germany, so this is about German ad campaigns. Also I have had adblockers for a long time, so when I say "they run ads", I mostly mean TV, print and billboards.)

You just described two companies that became the ad channels, so they certainly are a bit of an exception. Even Apple, who has the most word-of-mouth viral product line in all history, used advertisements from the beginning.

Tesla technically.

Tesla might not have advertisements on TV or radio, but it is not a coincidence that luxury malls have prime parking dedicated to Tesla chargers, that they have prominent show rooms and that their CEO is always getting in the news.

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