Science in Advertising

Among the many and varied forms of science communication, advertising is unique because of its emphasis on persuasion. While it could be argued that all communication involves some degree of influence on people's thoughts and feelings, in advertising these persuasive goals are central. Advertising can be more specifically defined as an attempt to persuade using paid mass media placements. Time or space for the advertiser's message can be purchased in a multitude of media, including TV and radio programs, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and Web sites. Organizations typically use mass media when their target audience is too large for personal, face-to-face communication. Advertising in particular has the advantage of giving the organization a degree of control over the message that is not possible when relying on ...