My wife recently commented in seeing a series of billboards and large banners for a local apartment complex, that to our knowledge, has never had a problem filling it's rental units due, in large part, to it's prime location on the waters of the Fox River. Apparently, the rising rent market hasn't hit Green Bay just yet.

What I find funny is that in small markets in bad times among businesses who've never traditionally advertised, at least not that I can tell, advertising becomes their 'last resort' of sorts. They've tried, or have not tried everything else, and when the chips are down, they turn to advertising.

People know you're desperate when you do this. They can see it, and they can smell it, and they know that you're ripe for the picking. I have no scientific data to back this up, but is it any wonder that the auto industry is one of the biggest spenders and they're also the ones with the most 'haggling' that goes on around the purchase of their products.

Now, I'm not saying that advertising equals desperation. Far from it. Desperate advertising attempts equal desperation, and people, your customers, know the difference.