John Wanamaker famously observed that "half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half." Indeed, though advertising 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 advertising 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 advertising and explains how the industry works and how each of the parties--the advertisers, the media, and the agencies--contribute to the process. He also looks at the financial side of advertising 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 advertising, such as advertising aimed at children and the promotion of products such as cigarettes and alcohol.

温斯顿•弗莱彻

CBE勋章(英国司令勋章)获得者，广告学会会长，广告从业人员研究会会长，世界广告研究中心创办总裁，广告史信托基金副总裁，威斯敏斯特大学营销学访问教授。多次在世界各地发表演讲。围绕媒体广告及广告业多有著述，如《说服的艺术：英国广告业不为人知的故事》（2008）等。