Sean Brierley
Routledge 2002
£15.99
320pp
ISBN 0415243920

Sean Brierley provides a comprehensive introduction to the practice of advertising. The book includes detailed exploration of how markets are created, the role of the advertising agency, the relationship between advertisers, their clients and the media, media planning and buying, media research, principles and techniques of persuasion and effectiveness measurement. It is densely packed with facts, figures, statistics, acronyms, abbreviations, case studies, profiles, illustrations, suggestions for 'workshop' exercises, a glossary and guide to useful websites. There is a summary outlining the main details and argument at the end of each chapter, providing a helpful overview of the not entirely digestible contents.

Brierley has brought to this book his experience and understanding as practitioner (he was Deputy Editor of Marketing Week and Editor of The Lawyer and is currently head of new product development at Centaur Communications) and as teacher (he lectured at Liverpool John Moores University in mass communication). He is anxious to stress that although there are a number of academic works on advertising, there are few that write from the advertiser's point of view. However, this book is not an uncritical tribute to the advertising industry by any means. Brierley describes the convoluted world of advertising with all its confusing complexities and alarming simplicities with a cool and objective eye.

This is not an easy read - it is after all a resource and reference handbook - but it is a fascinating one. I found myself, naive schoolteacher that I am, repeatedly shouting out loud, 'I didn't know that!' (e.g. Josiah Wedgwood was one of the first mass advertisers) or, 'I don't believe it!' (Hush Puppies were the ultimate fashion statement among trendy kids in Manhattan). The description of the disquieting nature of advertising regulation -despite the number of regulatory bodies - provides another jolt to the innocent pedagogue. Brierley says that he is not claiming, "to provide a 'missing link' in academic analysis" but I have not found a media studies resource that tackles the contemporary marketing issues contained in chapters 1-8 of the book in such an authoritative and informed way.

Later chapters on the principles and techniques of persuasion, formats, style and language are more familiar ground to the students and teachers of media studies. The wealth of information means time and concentration is needed to extract material suitable for presentation to students. As advertising is affected by all the economic and political factors described in the book it is difficult to decide on the major emphases. As I read it, I found myself automatically translating the facts, figures, acronyms into flow charts, spider diagrams and crib sheets for classroom use. These could be 'fleshed-out' with the excellent - and sometimes shocking - case studies and examples.

Reading, digesting and reviewing this book was hardly effortless but I'm glad I did it - at least I can now tell my ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) from my ISBA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising). I would certainly recommend this book to media teachers who wish broaden their insight into the fact and function of advertising and the way it impinges on so many other aspects of the mass media.

© 2003 Tina R Stockman - PT Guidance, Teacher of Art/Media Studies,Harlaw Academy, Aberdeen