this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2026
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[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works -4 points 5 days ago (3 children)

But they don’t make money from advertising…

They spend money.

[–] coffee_tacos@mander.xyz 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Ideally you spend less on the advertising campaign than you make in new customers.

[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works -5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Sometimes that’s the case, but Proton have free tiers, so new customers can just cost more money on top of the cost to acquire them.

[–] Tiresia@slrpnk.net 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

They are a corporation in capitalism. Please stop being facetious.

[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works -3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Market share and user metrics are also valuable.

But give no direct revenue, in fact for free customers they continue to cost the corp money.

[–] Tiresia@slrpnk.net 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

And what does "valuable" mean, in this context?

[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works -2 points 5 days ago

It is of benefit to the company, I guess?

I think you have pegged me as a pro capitalist. Let me assure you to the contrary.

[–] ClockworkOtter@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

They spend the money they made. Your point is unclear.

[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works -2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

100% seriously I don’t understand what this means.

Proton spend the money they made?

[–] ClockworkOtter@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

I guess we're both scratching our heads then

[–] Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip 1 points 3 days ago

I think it may be worth asking yourself why a company would spend that money: They do so in the hopes that it makes them more. The only reason they exist is to make money.

Whether you think this was an honest mistake or sign of something nefarious, the idea that a company spends money on advertising just to throw money into the void and see no return is a bit silly 😅. The hope is that some subset of folks advertised to join their service, and some subset of those pay money for it. If they don't make more money from gained paying customers than the ammount they spent on advertising then it was an objectively incorrect business choice...