The behind-the-scenes story of how admen and sponsors helped shape broadcasting into a popular commercial entertainment medium.
During the "golden age" of radio, from roughly the late 1920s until the late 1940s, advertising agencies were arguably the most important sources of radio entertainment. Most nationally broadcast programs on network radio were created, produced, written, and/or managed by advertising agencies: for example, J. Walter Thompson produced "Kraft Music Hall" for Kraft; Benton & Bowles oversaw "Show Boat" for Maxwell House Coffee; and Young & Rubicam managed "Town Hall Tonight" with comedian Fred Allen for Bristol-Myers. Yet this fact has disappeared from popular memory and receives little attention from media scholars and historians. By repositioning the advertising industry as a central agent in the development of broadcasting, author Cynthia B. Meyers challenges conventional views about the role of advertising in culture, the integration of media industries, and the role of commercialism in broadcasting history.
Based largely on archival materials, A Word from Our Sponsor mines agency records from the J. Walter Thompson papers at Duke University, which include staff meeting transcriptions, memos, and account histories; agency records of BBDO, Benton & Bowles, Young & Rubicam, and N. W. Ayer; contemporaneous trade publications; and the voluminous correspondence between NBC and agency executives in the NBC Records at the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Mediating between audiences' desire for entertainment and advertisers' desire for sales, admen combined "showmanship" with "salesmanship" to produce a uniquely American form of commercial culture. In recounting the history of this form, Meyers enriches and corrects our understanding not only of broadcasting history but also of advertising history, business history, and American cultural history from the 1920s to the 1940s.

The behind-the-scenes story of how admen and sponsors helped shape broadcasting into a popular commercial entertainment medium.
During the "golden age" of radio, from roughly the late 1920s until the late 1940s, advertising agencies were arguably the most important sources of radio entertainment. Most nationally broadcast programs on network radio were created, produced, written, and/or managed by advertising agencies: for example, J. Walter Thompson produced "Kraft Music Hall" for Kraft; Benton & Bowles oversaw "Show Boat" for Maxwell House Coffee; and Young & Rubicam managed "Town Hall Tonight" with comedian Fred Allen for Bristol-Myers. Yet this fact has disappeared from popular memory and receives little attention from media scholars and historians. By repositioning the advertising industry as a central agent in the development of broadcasting, author Cynthia B. Meyers challenges conventional views about the role of advertising in culture, the integration of media industries, and the role of commercialism in broadcasting history.
Based largely on archival materials, A Word from Our Sponsor mines agency records from the J. Walter Thompson papers at Duke University, which include staff meeting transcriptions, memos, and account histories; agency records of BBDO, Benton & Bowles, Young & Rubicam, and N. W. Ayer; contemporaneous trade publications; and the voluminous correspondence between NBC and agency executives in the NBC Records at the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Mediating between audiences' desire for entertainment and advertisers' desire for sales, admen combined "showmanship" with "salesmanship" to produce a uniquely American form of commercial culture. In recounting the history of this form, Meyers enriches and corrects our understanding not only of broadcasting history but also of advertising history, business history, and American cultural history from the 1920s to the 1940s.

Great copywriting just got easier It's strange to think that there was a time when only the privileged few could read or write. The rest of us relied on the spoken word. Storytelling was used to pass knowledge on from one generation to the next. Now, most of us are literate and use the written word to gather information and inform our decision making. Increasingly we do this online, with social media and messaging enabling rapid, spontaneous global communication. But rather than freeing us from the need for clear, effective written communication, it actually makes good communication even more important. The less we communicate face to face, the greater the opportunity for misunderstandings. Of course, all writing communicates your message to people you cannot see and may never meet. It means you can influence more widely; it also means you must take care not to make assumptions aboutyour reader, especially those who see your public postings. Successful copywriting is constructed from carefully selected words, each with a clear purpose. It is written to prompt feelings, thoughts or actions. It is clear, concise and at times comforting. It is also comprehensible, even to those not yet confident users of your language. Reading this book, and following the techniques it introduces, will make you a more effective writer. Expertise in grammar is not needed as all the necessary jargon is simply defined and, anyway, some forms of business writing deliberately ignorerules. This book is for people who want to write for results. Each of the seven chapters in Copywriting In A Week covers a different aspect: - Sunday: Focusing your message - Monday: Using layout, pictures and colour to make words memorable - Tuesday: Writing effective letters - Wednesday: Making advertising work for you - Thursday: Communicating clearly with the media - Friday: Preparing promotional print - Saturday: Composing proposals and presentation visuals

This is the first book to document the history of cigarette advertising on college and university campuses. From the 1920s to the 1960s, such advertisers had a strong financial grip on student media. And, through its support of the student paper and other campus media, the tobacco industry held a degree of financial power over colleges and universities across the nation. In fact, the industry's strength was so great many doubted whether student newspapers and other campus media could survive without tobacco money. When the Tobacco Institute, the organisation that governed the tobacco industry, decided to pull their advertising in June of 1963 nearly 2,000 student publications needed to recover up to 50 percent of their newly lost revenue. Although student newspapers are the main focus of this book, tobacco's presence on campus permeated more than just the student paper. Cigarette brands were promoted at football games, on campus radio and through campus representatives and promotional items were placed on campus in locations such as university stores and the student union.

This edited collection presents cutting edge research into the topic of green messages and subsequent consumer responses. The research studies draw on a rich tradition of communication, psychological and sociological theories that examine consumer responses in a nuanced way. At the same time, the studies present important implications for advertising practitioners and academics alike. Written by communications scholars from North America, Europe and Asia, the studies encompass a range of research techniques including experiments, surveys, content analyses and depth interviews. The book provides important insights into current practice as well as directions for future research. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Advertising.

This important source for students, researchers, advertisers and parents reviews the debates and presents new research about advertising to children. Chapters cover food and alcohol advertising, the effects of product placement and new media advertising, and the role of parents and teachers in helping children to learn more about advertising.

This volume grew out of research papers presented at the 9th ICORIA (International Conference on Research in Advertising) which was held at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain,
on June 24-26, 2010. The conference involved advertising, communication, and marketing scholars located all over the world, thereby setting an example of diversity and plurality in our ICORIA community."

This book provides simple explanations of advertising media sources and calculations along with real-world examples of source material from advertising and media companies. Each of the book's 45 concise units opens with a brief text segment, presents sample source materials from actual advertising and media companies, and concludes with hands-on exercises. Compact units cover all key topics including communication planning and media strategies. A media math primer, standard media formulae, media planning checklists, and a glossary of media terms are also included. Designed for practitioners and students, the latest edition includes new exercises with new media formats and digital media and new units devoted to popular social media channels.

Everyday consumers buy into the concept of brands and their associated meanings - the perception of quality, a symbolic relationship, a vicarious experience, or even a sense of identity. Marketing Semiotics suggests that the extent to which consumers recognize, internalize, and relate to brand meanings is not only an academic question. These meanings contribute to 'brand equity', the financial value of intangible brand benefits that exceed the use value of goods, and impacts upon a firm's financial performance. Therefore, the management of brand equity demands first and foremost the management of brand meanings, or semiotics.
The book uses structural semiotics, a discipline that extends the laws of structural linguistics to the analysis of verbal, visual, and spatial sign systems, to shed light on the cultural codes and discourse of brands. It proposes that semiotic research should form the cornerstone of brand equity management, since brands rely so heavily on sign systems that contribute to profitability by distinguishing brands from simple commodities, from competitors, and engaging consumers in the brand world.
The book includes dozens of global business cases where semiotics has been used to refocus, reposition, or extend the brand to new products, customers, and markets. Drawing upon twenty years of academic and consulting experience, the book provides actionable direction for steering brands through technological and cultural change, differentiating brands in the competitive environment, and counteracting the natural depletion of brand meaning over time.

Social Marketing shows how marketing techniques can be used to social ends and tackle the immense challenges humankind faces. Social inequalities have driven popular revolts, from Black Lives Matter to Brexit; the climate is in crisis; and COVID-19 has highlighted power imbalances across the globe. In these turbulent times, this 4th edition will arm you with: Fresh content on climate breakdown, inequality and diversity, public health and poverty The critical capacity to analyse the origins, workings, and future of our economic system Contemporary case studies from around the world demonstrating how change happens Reflective questions and critical thinking tasks to aid understanding This popular introductory textbook has been fully updated to enable you to challenge the bad, champion the good and enact meaningful change. If you already have marketing know-how then it will help you apply this in a health, social and ecological context. If you come from a social science, public health, or ecological background, and have little knowledge of marketing, it will introduce you to its key principles and give you the chance to apply these ideas in familiar settings.

Examining theory and practice, "Advertising and Anthropology" is a lively and important contribution to the study of organizational culture, consumption practices, marketing to consumers and the production of creativity in corporate settings. The chapters reflect the authors' extensive lived experienced as professionals in the advertising business and marketing research industry. Essays analyze internal agency and client meetings, competitive pressures and professional relationships and include multiple case studies. The authors describe the structure, function and process of advertising agency work, the mediation and formation of creativity, the centrality of human interactions in agency work, the production of consumer insights and industry ethics. Throughout the book, the authors offer concrete advice for practitioners.
"Advertising and Anthropology" is written by anthropologists for anthropologists as well as students and scholars interested in advertising and related industries such as marketing, marketing research and design.

A must read for any copywriter and anyone looking to understand the new realities of the brand creativity business.

A memorable slogan has been the cornerstone of every great ad campaign. In the past, writing one great headline could launch a career. But today's advertising campaigns are interactive, multi-platform and ongoing, and the copywriter's canvas is vast. At any given time, a copywriter may be conceiving a video game, writing a TV show, maintaining a Twitter feed, creating a mobile app or an interactive installation or, yes, writing a headline or a TV script.

While the best copywriters have always been brand storytellers, now that story can play out anywhere. The digital revolution put control in the hands of the people - the audience - now no longer just consumers, but active participants in a brand's story.

The art and science of advertising has gone from creating one-way messages to engaging audiences in ongoing conversations.

A new ad landscape means new opportunities for writers who now have the incredible opportunity to push brand narrative to places it's never been before and to actually create something so useful or entertaining that it generates its own audience. It also means that many of the rules of the past--while exceedingly worthy of study--are insufficient to guide the modern copywriter. Co-published with AdvertisingAge, The Idea Writers outlines the changing landscape of the advertising industry while providing useful how-to advice.

Filled with interviews from top creatives including:

Greg Hahn, Nick Law, Jeff Benjamin, Tim Delaney, Rei Inamoto, Lee Clow, Steve Simpson, Rick Condos, David Droga, Gerry Graf, Ty Montague, Calle and Pelle Sjonell, PJ Pereira, David Abbott and many more

Highlights the trailers, merchandising and cultural conversations that shape our experiences of film and television It is virtually impossible to watch a movie or TV show without preconceived notions because of the hype that precedes them, while a host of media extensions guarantees them a life long past their air dates. An onslaught of information from print media, trailers, internet discussion, merchandising, podcasts, and guerilla marketing, we generally know something about upcoming movies and TV shows well before they are even released or aired. The extras, or "paratexts," that surround viewing experiences are far from peripheral, shaping our understanding of them and informing our decisions about what to watch or not watch and even how to watch before we even sit down for a show. Show Sold Separately gives critical attention to this ubiquitous but often overlooked phenomenon, examining paratexts like DVD bonus materials for The Lord of the Rings, spoilers for Lost, the opening credits of The Simpsons, Star Wars actions figures, press reviews for Friday Night Lights, the framing of Batman Begins, the videogame of The Thing, and the trailers for The Sweet Hereafter. Plucking these extra materials from the wings and giving them the spotlight they deserve, Jonathan Gray examines the world of film and television that exists before and after the show.

When a sprinkler malfunctioned at a Baltimore menswear store, three inches of water sat on the floor and much of the merchandise was wet. The owner, the author of this book, could have done the normal thing and sell the wet merchandise to a Jobber--a business that buys damaged goods in bulk for cheap. Instead, he did the OUTRAGEOUS thing--he advertised in a very OUTRAGEOUS way which resulted in receiving much more than he would have received from the Jobber. It was easy.

Here is an OUTRAGEOUS idea--it's easy to make a lot of money from advertising. That's right, easy money! This book, OUTRAGEOUS ADVERTISING THAT'S OUTRAGEOUSLY SUCCESSFUL, explains in certain terms how to advertise and make money.

Rich with examples and stories showing exactly how to implement a successful OUTRAGEOUS program, this book cracks the code on getting a return on your advertising dollars--an OUTRAGEOUS return!

Your business relies on you for its survival, and its life-blood is sales. Build a robust platform is the most effective and sustainable way to attract prospects and convert them into customers. Literary agent and expert platform consultant Wendy Keller shares the secrets behind how to select the right promotion strategies for your business, market your products and services, develop an enthusiastic customer base, and ultimately create a strong platform that distinguishes your business from the rest--all without spending a fortune. Keller provides you with platform-building methods that are practical, proven, and easily implemented by anyone, this book helps build your brand perception to: Develop content that converts fans into customers Create a platform strategy that multiplies your marketing efforts overnight Showcase your brand, product, or company and attract new opportunities

Until now, most works on the history of African Americans in advertising have focused on the depiction of blacks in advertisements. As the first comprehensive examination of African American participation in the industry, "Madison Avenue and the Color Line" breaks new ground by examining the history of black advertising employees and agency owners.For much of the twentieth century, even as advertisers chased African American consumer dollars, the doors to most advertising agencies were firmly closed to African American professionals. Over time, black participation in the industry resulted from the combined efforts of black media, civil rights groups, black consumers, government organizations, and black advertising and marketing professionals working outside white agencies. Blacks positioned themselves for jobs within the advertising industry, especially as experts on the black consumer market, and then used their status to alter stereotypical perceptions of black consumers. By doing so, they became part of the broader effort to build an African American professional and entrepreneurial class and to challenge the negative portrayals of blacks in American culture.Using an extensive review of advertising trade journals, government documents, and organizational papers, as well as personal interviews and the advertisements themselves, Jason Chambers weaves individual biographies together with broader events in U.S. history to tell how blacks struggled to bring equality to the advertising industry.

* Provides a step-by-step and applied approach to Digital Marketing practice, preparing students for a role in industry. * Text includes exercises, checklists, further reading and, of course, an abundance of further links * New edition of a well-established text, fully updated with latest theory and practice, including new international case studies, which test students' ability to apply theory, models and good practice to real-life scenarios. * Comprehensive support material available online for both students and instructors, including links to articles and opinion pieces, PowerPoint lecturer slides, lecture videos, and questions.

* Strategic approach - from goal-setting and planning to implementation and control * Depth and breadth - substantial enough for any undergraduate or graduate course * Cutting-edge - completely new cases and examples, and new material on e-marketing and technology

This excursion into American cultural history looks at the toothpaste and toothbrush industries from 1900 to 2008. During these years, America moved from a nation of people who mostly cleaned their teeth with homemade powders to one that used such professional names as Colgate Platinum Whitening Toothpaste, often applied with an electric toothbrush. From early 20th century products like Forhan's (which 'cured' pyorrhea) to the whiteners of the 1920s (which unfortunately also removed tooth enamel), and from paste that eliminated 'that clinging film' and to copywriters who 'wondered where the yellow went', the history of toothpaste has long been a testament to the power of false and misleading advertising. Interrupting this steady flow of hyperbole was the one true wonder ingredient: Fluoride, which enabled Crest to predominate for decades as America's top-selling brand.

Sports Marketing: A Strategic Perspective is the most authoritative, comprehensive, and engaging introduction to sports marketing currently available. It is the only introductory textbook on this subject to adopt a strategic approach, explaining clearly how every element of the marketing process should be designed and managed, from goal-setting and planning to implementation and control.

Covering all the key topics in the sports marketing curriculum, including consumer behavior, market research, promotions, products, pricing, sponsorship, business ethics, technology, and e-marketing, the book introduces core theory and concepts, explains best practice, and surveys the rapidly changing international sports business environment. Chapters contain extensive real-world case studies and biographies of key industry figures, and challenging review exercises encourage the reader to reflect critically on their own knowledge and professional practice.

Now in a fully revised and updated sixth edition, Sports Marketing: A Strategic Perspective includes expanded coverage of social and digital media, analytics, and ethical issues, as well as a greater number of international articles and examples. In a new feature, successful sports marketers reflect on their careers and how they progressed in the sports marketing industry.

It is an essential foundation for any sports marketing or sports business course, and an invaluable reference for any sports marketing practitioner looking to improve their professional practice.

A companion website offers additional resources for instructors and students, including an instructor’s guide, test questions, presentation slides, and useful weblinks.

Table of Contents

Part I: Contingency Framework for Strategic Sports Marketing

1 Emergence of Sports Marketing

2 Contingency Framework for Strategic Sports Marketing

Part II: Planning for Market Selection Decisions

3 Research Tools for Understanding Sports Consumers

4 Understanding Participants as Consumers

5 Understanding Spectators as Consumers

6 Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning

Part III: Planning the Sports Marketing Mix

7 Sports Product Concepts

8 Managing Sports Products

9 Promotion Concepts

10 Promotion Mix Elements

11 Sponsorship Programs

12 Pricing Concepts and Strategies

Part IV: Implementing and Controlling the Strategic Sports Marketing Process

13 Implementing and Controlling the Strategic Sports Marketing Process

Appendix A

Appendix B

Illustration Credits

Content Strategy in Technical Communication provides a balanced, comprehensive overview of the current state of content strategy within the field of technical communication while showcasing groundbreaking work in the field. Emerging technologies such as content management systems, social media platforms, open source information architectures, and application programming interfaces provide new opportunities for the creation, publication, and delivery of content. Technical communicators are now sometimes responsible for such diverse roles as content management, content auditing, and search engine optimization. At the same time, we are seeing remarkable growth in jobs devoted to these other content-centric skills. This book provides a roadmap including best practices, pedagogies for teaching, and implications for research in these areas. It covers elements of content strategy as diverse as "Editing Content for Global Reuse" and "Teaching Content Strategy to Graduate Students with Real Clients," while giving equal weight to professional best practices and to pedagogy for content strategy. This book is an essential resource for professionals, students, and scholars throughout the field of technical communication.

Designed to serve as a comprehensive, primary text for research methods courses in advertising and/or public relations programs, this book concentrates on the uses and applications of research in advertising and public relations situations. The authors' goal is to provide the information needed by future practitioners to commission and apply research to their work problems in advertising and public relations.

This book is an honor to the many important contributions of Herbert Krugman, past president of APA, The Division of Consumer Psychology and The Association for Public Opinions Research. This reader contains his selected works in Consumer Behavior and Advertising which combine insights from Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology and Survey Methodology. William Wells, University of Minnesota, has provided the foreword and section overviews for the book which will help it appeal to all academics and students of consumer research.

This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review and critique of the scientific evidence concerning the prevalence, nature and potential effects of food advertising and other forms of marketing on children. There is growing international concern about the prevalence of childhood obesity and associated health problems. Poor quality diet and nutrition has been blamed. The food and soft drinks industries have been targeted in this context for their promotions of foods and drinks that are high in salt, sugar and fat content. Many of the most widely promoted and consumed food brands fail to meet recommended nutritional standards. What is the evidence for the effects of food promotions on children's food preferences, diets and health? This book draws on evidence from around the world, reviewing the major studies before presenting a fresh assessment of the state of play. It considers also the issue of food regulation and advertising codes of practices, the need for better and relevant consumer education and socialisation about advertising and nutrition.