The real difference is back then they would push back: do you want to reach the people who follow us or not.
Of course back then ads were sold in house. You didn't have the powerful middleman who could afford to say no to just you. (there were such middlemen, but they were not as powerful as most ads were in house)
Of course back then ads were sold in house. You didn't have the powerful middleman who could afford to say no to just you. (there were such middlemen, but they were not as powerful as most ads were in house)