The Advertising Handbook

Book excerpt: The Advertising Handbook is a critical introduction to the practices and perspectives of the advertising industry. Sean Brierley explores the structures of the profession and examines the roles of all those involved in advertising including businesses, agencies, consultancies and media owners. The Advertising Handbook traces the development of advertising and examines the changes that have take taken place from its formative years through to today's period of rapid change: the impact of new media, the rise of the ad agency, industry mergers, the Internet and digital technologies, and the influence of the regulatory environment. The Advertising Handbook offers a theoretical understanding of the industry and it challenges many assumptions about advertising's power and authority. Thoroughly revised and updated, it examines why companies and organisations advertise, how they research markets, where and when they advertise, the principles and techniques of persuasion and how companies measure performance. The Advertising Handbook includes: Illustrations from a range of high-profile campaigns including Budweiser, Barnardo's, Benetton and Club 18-30 New and detailed 'workshop' exercises accompanying each chapter Case studies and profiles of ad agencies and key media players A revised and up-to-date glossary of key terms A guide to useful web and online resources