CHAPTER 01 THE EVOLUTION OF ADVERTISING LEARNING OBJECTIVES The main objectives in this chapter are to define advertising, to distinguish it from related forms of marketing communications, and to review its evolution. Students will also learn about the role that advertising plays in both business and the economy. Finally, students will begin to develop an appreciation of some of the ways advertising has influenced our society (p. 23). After studying this chapter, your students will be able to: 1. Define advertising and differentiate it from other forms of marketing communications. 2. Explain the role advertising plays in business and marketing. 3. Explain the importance of advertising in a free–market economy. 4. Discuss how advertising evolved with the history of commerce. 5. Explore the impact of advertising on society yesterday, today, and tomorrow. TEACHING TIPS AND STRATEGIES Using the opening vignette in the classroom Ask students to consider the tactics used by the 2008 Obama presidential campaign and to offer opinions about: 1) why the campaign theme of “change” was chosen, 2) whether the same tactics would have worked equally well for John McCain as well as Obama, and 3) whether the tactics would have worked if Obama had not been able to raise $310 million for advertising and less had been allocated to “change” media messaging. Students should begin to focus on two important issues: 1) the critical need to identify a key theme in development of an advertising campaign and 2) the opportunity advertising creates to change consumer perceptions – if the right message is conveyed to the intended audience. It might be interesting to contrast the success of Obama’s campaign with the difficulties faced by John McCain in his campaign. Which candidate was most successful staying on message? And which candidate deviated from his initial theme within the campaign? If you have Internet access in the classroom, consider showing some of the many 2008 presidential campaign videos available on YouTube, such as this one focusing on social media: