Advertising in the UK is big business with total expenditure exceeding £17 billion. It is therefore hardly surprising that we can occasionally feel we are being bombarded with adverts at every turn – in newspapers and magazines; on TV, radio and the Internet; on billboards and even on the backs of buses! There are numerous academic textbooks available but few examine advertising from the advertisers’ perspective. This volume, therefore, aims “to examine industry practices critically, offering people within the industry fresh insight into how they work”. Industry practices are critically examined to bridge the gap between theory and practice with the overall intention of contributing to a better understanding of advertising itself. This is, however, neither a “how‐to” guide nor a guide to best practice.
Four broad areas are dealt with. Chapters examine the how and why of advertising, placing the industry in its social, historical and political context. The where and when to advertise is also considered as is how markets are researched, the principles and techniques of persuasion and how companies measure performance. The different chapters analyse the key themes and debates that are currently influencing industry practice. The advertising industry has come in for some severe criticisms over the years. However, it has effectively set up a system of self‐regulation and codes of practice to ensure that legislation for the industry as a whole has not been necessary. Brierley highlights what he calls “a crisis” for the industry as it has had to change in response to increased direct mail, the growth of the Internet and store loyalty cards – all of which have contributed to a reduction in media budgets.
To assist in bridging the gap between theory and practice, case studies of high‐profile campaigns are used to illustrate points being made. These include the Budweiser “Wassup?” campaign; the “United Colors of Benetton” campaign; Guinness’ “Surfer” TV commercial; and the strategy of the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian to keep their sales and advertising revenue up. Profiles of differently sized and shaped ad agencies are also given. These include J. Walter Thompson, Carat, Gold Greenless Trott, HHCL and Ogilvie Interactive. Although all ad agencies tend to offer similar services, it is useful to read how they each have developed and the types of clients for whom they work.
Workshop exercises, for individual or group work, accompany each chapter. These also include sources of further reading to assist with the completion of the exercises. A ten‐page glossary of key terms, a bibliography and useful WWW sites conclude the volume. These all contribute to a highly readable and informative text which will be useful to both the student and the advertising professional.
