Advertising, in a broad sense, is messages not aimed at any specific groups. It includes non-profit, tourism, commercial advertising, etc. Yet, the word "advertising" in daily usage usually imply paid commercial advertising, which is used to promote merchandise, service, or ideas.
The goal of advertising is to persuade the public to increase its propensity to purchase, awareness of brand names, or segmentation of products. Advertising is formed by propagate information through media. Advertising is only one part of the sales campaign (marketing, market segmentation). It also encompasses propaganda, public relations, sales pitch, competitive sales, etc.
