Advertising

John Wanamaker famously observed that "half the money I spend on is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half." Indeed, though is pervasive in our society, how it works (if and when it works) is not a question most of us can answer. In this Very Short Introduction, Winston Fletcher, a seasoned veteran with extensive inside knowledge, offers an illuminating look at this billion-dollar business, dispelling some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the industry. Fletcher offers a short history of and explains how the industry works and how each of the partiesthe advertisers, the media, and the agenciescontribute to the process. He also looks at the financial side of and asks how today's Wanamakers know if they have been successful, or whether their money has in fact been wasted. The book concludes with a discussion of controversial and unacceptable areas of , such as aimed at children and the promotion of products such as cigarettes and alcohol.