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Advertising is a message designed to promote a product, a service, or an idea. In everyday life, people come into contact with many kinds of advertising. Printed advertisements make up a large part of newspapers and magazines. Poster ads appear in many buses, subways, and trains. Neon signs along downtown streets flash advertisements. Billboards dot the roadsides. Commercials interrupt television and radio programs.

The purpose of most advertising is to sell products or services. Manufacturers advertise to try to persuade people to buy their products. Large business firms also use advertising to create a favorable “image” of their company. They want the company name to be known and respected for the products the firm makes or the services it provides. Local businesses use advertising to gain new customers and increase sales. Advertising thus plays a major role in the competition among the businesses for the consumer’s dollar. It is the cheapest and fastest way to inform large number of people about products or services for sale and to persuade them to buy. In many businesses, the volume of sales depends largely on the amount of advertising done.

Advertising is also used by individuals, political parties and candidates, social organizations, special-interest groups, and the government. Many people advertise in newspapers to sell used cars, homes, or other property. Political parties and candidates use advertising o try to win votes. Social organizations and special-interest groups often advertise to promote a cause or to influence the way people think or act.

Advertising is common in almost all countries. In many countries, however, the use of advertising is more restricted than it is in the United States. In most countries of Western Europe, for example, the governments limit the amount of advertising on television. The governments also make greater use of advertising for social, political and educational purposes. In Great Britain, for example, the government is the nation’s largest single advertiser.