The article reveals the essence and definition of advertising. Questions of the concept of advertising in foreign and domestic practice are covered. The functions of advertising and advertising organizational structures are character- ized.

In conditions of the market, civilized advertising is a necessary component of the communication system for business entities. Advertising is a type of activity aimed at selling sales or other tasks of industrial, service enterprises and public organizations by spreading the information they have paid for, formed in such a way as to cause an increased impact on the mass or individual consciousness, causing a given reaction to the chosen consumer audience. There are numerous and varied definitions of advertising. It can be defined as a communication process, as a marketing process, as an economic and social process that provides communication with the public or as an information process and a pro- cess of persuasion depending on the point of view.

In industrially developed countries, the term "advertising" means advertisements in the media and does not apply to events that promote sales, prestigious events aimed at winning favor with the public, as well as a specific area of advertising that is booming in recent times and whose essence consists in directing the producer to the consumer.

In Ukrainian practice, unlike the Western, the concept of advertising is broader. It includes exhibition events, commercial seminars, packaging, printed products, distribution of souvenirs and other means of stimulating trading activities.

The main functions of the advertiser are: the definition of goods that need advertising; definition together with the advertising agency of the degree and features of advertising of these goods; formation, together with the advertising agency, of a plan for the creation of promotional products and advertising events; development together with the adver-

tising agency of the budget for the creation of advertising and advertising; signing an agreement with the agency for the

creation of promotional materials, the placement of advertising in the means of its distribution, the conduct of promo- tional activities; Assistance to executors in the preparation of source materials; providing technical and factual infor- mation about the product or service; technical consultations, approval of mock-ups, advertising materials and originals of advertising; payment of accounts of the performer.

All functions and factors of influence can be grouped into five groups: marketing, communication, education, economics and social. The most important are the marketing functions of advertising. Forming demand and stimulating sales, forcing consumers to buy goods and speeding up the buying and selling process, thus advertising performs an economic function on the market. Advertising carries out and information function. Advertising increasingly fulfills demand management functions. The control function becomes a distinguishing feature of modern advertising, it is pre- liminary determined by the fact that it is an integral part of the marketing system.