Advertising Myths

Advertising is often portrayed negatively, as corrupting a mythically pure relationship between people and things. In Advertising Myths Anne Cronin argues that it is better understood as a 'matrix of transformation' that performs divisions in the social order and arranges classificatory regimes. Focusing on consumption controversies, Cronin contends that advertising is constituted of 'circuits of belief' that flow between practitioners, clients, regulators, consumers and academics. Controversies such as those over tobacco and alcohol advertising, she argues, distil these beliefs and articulate with programmes of social engineering aimed at altering consumption patterns. This book will be essential reading for students and academics of advertising and consumption.

“Capitalist Realism” in Africa: Realities and Myths in Advertising is a multifaceted analysis of the role of advertising in the national development of Nigeria, and by extension, other African Nations. The book examines the unique political, cultural and religious systems that create the context for advertising in African countries and describes the unique historical, social, economic, communication and political context within which the practice of advertising takes place. Since the end of the Cold War, the several African nations (or "emerging countries") have undertaken concrete efforts to reform their political, social, and economic institutions as they strive to join the global economy and improve the socioeconomic conditions of their citizens. To achieve these goals, administrators have relied on various forms of mass media – including advertising – to promote these reforms and socioeconomic development. Despite some unique challenges and opportunities as well as controversies surrounding the role of advertising in developing economies, advertising literature relevant to African countries remains in a blind spot. “Capitalist Realism” in Africa: Realities and Myths in Advertising bridges this gap by offering an in-depth analysis of advertising in an area of the world that has been largely neglected and provides a ground for generating a discussion about the practice of advertising in an African context.

John Philip Jones, bestselling author and internationally known advertising scholar, has written a textbook to help evaluate advertising "fables" and "fashions," and also to study the facts. He uses the latest trends and cutting-edge research to illustrate their occasional incompleteness, inadequacy, and in some cases total wrongheadedness. Each chapter then attempts to describe one aspect of how advertising really works. Unlike most other advertising textbooks, Fables, Fashions, and Facts About Advertising is not written as a "how to" text, or as a vehicle for war stories, or as a sales pitch. Instead, it is a book that concentrates solely on describing how advertising works. Written to be accessible to the general public with little or no experience studying advertising, it makes the scholarship of an internationally renowned figure accessible to students taking beginning advertising courses.

It's common knowledge that marketing is nothing but advertising, and if your business comes through word of mouth then you don't need marketing anyway. Besides, everyone knows that social media is the best form of free marketing there is... don't they? The world of marketing is abound with a staggering number of misconceptions, fallacies and falsehoods. In Myths of Marketing, recognized industry expert Grant Leboff takes readers on a fascinating and entertaining journey through some of the most deeply entrenched stereotypes that exist in the industry, from the idea that sales and marketing are basically the same and that getting people's attention costs a lot of money, to the notion that demography is the best way to segment your market and 'content is king'. Using a combination of academic research, amusing examples and industry case studies, Myths of Marketing effectively debunks many of the most pervasive myths and assumptions, leaving readers with a clearer, more perceptive understanding of marketing as a whole, to improve their own practice and marketing strategy.

A handbook of the theory and practice of international advertising linked to overall trends in business globalization.

Besides products and services multinational corporations also sell myths, values and immaterial goods. Such »meta-goods« (e.g. prestige, beauty, strength) are major selling points in the context of successful marketing and advertising. Fashion adverts draw on deeply rooted human values, ideals and desires such as values and symbols of social recognition, beautification and rejuvenation. Although the reference to such meta-goods is obvious to some consumers, their rootedness in philosophical theories of human nature is less apparent, even for the marketers and advertisers themselves. This book is of special interest for researchers and students in the fields of Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Marketing, Advertising, Fashion, Cultural Critique, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology and Psychology, and for anyone interested in the ways in which fashion operates.

The development of communication technology and the proliferation of centers that collect, interpret, and transmit information does not mean that communities have become a more transparent and enlightened environment. If anything, the pioneering research of modern communication signifies the ambiguity of individual and collective existence. Myth in Modern Media Management and Marketing is an essential reference source that discusses the analysis of the role of myth and mythical thinking in the operation of media organizations and their functioning on the media market. Featuring research on topics such as social media, brand management, and advertising, this book is ideally designed for social media analysts, media specialists, public relations managers, media managers, marketers, advertisers, students, researchers, and professionals involved with media and new media management.