Advertising, the Consumer Society and the Church

Advertising, the Consumer Society and the Church

EDWARD J CARTER

The phenomenon of advertising

Advertising is big business. In 2021 the global spend on advertising was estimated to be around £500bn, which covers traditional things such as magazine and newspaper ads, billboards, radio and TV, and, increasingly, digital advertising on social media and other online channels. In the UK it’s estimated that in 2022 well over 200,000 people worked in the advertising and marketing sector, and this number is significantly higher in the USA. In addition to specialist agencies, nearly every business will have its own marketing team or department.