ABSTRACT
Thorson and Rodgers review a number of definitions of advertising that have been offered by advertising textbooks or by advertising scholars. They also suggest that McGuire’s model that combines stages of communication with stages of effect is–in combination with unique variables and contexts of advertising–a good way to understand many of the most important questions about advertising. After introducing the model in Figure 1.1 that guides this text, they conclude with a brief discussion about whether advertising is its own unique field and offer suggestions on what is needed to further establish advertising as an academic field.
