Misplaced marketing The social harm of public service advertising

Abstract

The power of advertising is presumed and people behind most public service advertising campaigns see advertising itself as the solution. An advertising campaign that aims to serve a social goal faces many pragmatic obstacles. Advertising professionals contribute to this problem. Just because advertising sometimes can help generate consumer interest in specific brand names does not also mean that every advertised effort will get people to make significant changes in their behavior. The Advertising Council, “dedicated to using the great resources of the advertising industry” to serve the public interest is the largest producer of public service mass communications, campaigns in the USA. Free public service work from anyone is admirable and the Advertising Council’s dedication to public service is a wonderful credit to business groups supporting it. In other countries that lack the traditions of the US Advertising Council, the advertising‐based campaigns draw on government tax funds or limited resources of a public group.

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