Advertising: A Very Short Introduction

How advertising works is not a question that has a simple answer. Advertising is a diverse entity and different campaigns work (or fail to work) in a plethora of different ways. Most advertising persuades people to buy things, but how? And who does it aim to persuade? And how are these decisions made? In this Very Short Introduction Winston Fletcher, an expert with extensive knowledge of advertising from the inside, aims to answer these questions, and in doing so, dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the industry. The book contains a short history of advertising and an explanation of how the industry works, and how each of the parties (the advertisers , the media and the agencies) are involved. It considers the extensive spectrum of advertisers and their individual needs. It also looks at the financial side of advertising and asks how advertisers know if they have been successful, or whether the money they have spent has in fact been wasted. Fletcher concludes with a discussion about the controversial and unacceptable areas of advertising such as advertising products to children and advertising products such as cigarettes and alcohol. He also discusses the benefits of advertising and what the future may hold for the industry. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Winston Fletcher has worked in advertising for many years, and is the only person ever to have been both Chairman of the Advertising Association and President of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. He has spoken and lectured throughout the world on advertising, marketing and marketing research, and has written extensively on advertising in the media. He was founder Chairman of the World Advertising Research Center, and is a Vice President of the History of Advertising Trust and Visiting Professor of Marketing at the University of Westminster. He is the author of leading books on advertising and other business topics including the forthcoming Powers of Persuasion: The Inside Story of British Advertising (OUP, July 2008).