• Addresses the question most frequently asked by the public and students in relation to this subject - how does advertising work?
• Explores the many different ways in which campaigns work (or fail to work)
• Explains the role of advertising in commerce and industry, in society, and in the media
• Covers the structure of the advertising industry; who are the advertisers?; the role of brands and branding; the key advertising media sectors; the creation of advertisements; the finances; research; controversial areas of advertising; and the benefits of advertising

  
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.