Advertising in a Free Society - Ralph Harris

Originally published in the 1950s, this seminal work provided a dispassionate and serious analysis of the subject of advertising. It concluded that advertising played a positive role in communicating information and building brand loyalty. Interestingly, some of the most dishonest forms of promotion came from politicians. Journalist Christopher Snowdon has skillfully abridged the original work while adding important modern insights with perhaps the most important of these is the critique of the claim that advertising coerces people into acting against their best interests. Snowdon also finds that the modern economic literature largely supports Harris and Seldon's view that advertising facilitates competition and lowers prices. This revised study is an important work for all interested in public policy as well as for those studying marketing in business schools or as part of a professional qualification.