Social Dimensions of Advertising

The social effects of advertising are effects that go beyond the mere attempts to market a certain product. Advertising is said to exert many such effects. This chapter provides an overview of the most relevant social effects of advertising – or, more precisely, how these effects are debated in academic literature. It shows that most social effects are characterized as unintended by advertisers and as socially dysfunctional. While many of these effects are considered general effects of advertising, digitalization has stimulated research on the unique effects of digital advertising. This chapter therefore puts specific emphasis on two mega-trends that dominate the current industry – the hybridization of advertisements and their personalization – and their social effects.