Chapter 6: Commercialization of Life

The advertising industry’s search for recognition as a profession and its desire to maintain credibility with its clients to connect with their audiences has led to a focus on providing a basis for rational decision-making and maintaining authority in their relationships with clients. These are grounded in issues of advertisers’ own professional stature and credibility. Although all advertising agencies have their own values and means of advising their clients, all do so within a professional culture. This is a dynamic reality and due to the rising emphasis on digital advertising, has led to much of the industry morphing into adtech companies, as much defined by their use of digital media tools to surveil and analyze audiences as on their traditional roles in content construction to attract attention. Social practices are now as significant as practical ones.