While it may appear that media are selling a product to an audience through advertising sponsorship, it is really the media selling audiences to sponsors. Such sponsors are interested, through advertising, to create needs for products and imbue objects with power. Hence, a pair of running shoes becomes a ticket to playing in the NBA or an SUV becomes a way to experience pristine wilderness. Some examples of demographics include age, sex, buying preferences, income, shoe size, and favourite colour. It is easier to market a product if the target demographic is known, and it's clear that advertisers favour certain demographics over others.
Advertising can then appeal to aspects of emotion, power, and status that entice an audience to buy.
The money involved in advertising is staggering. The most expensive ad during the 1998-1999 prime time television season, for example, was for the TV show ER . Because the audience that watches this show is most likely to have money to spend on the products advertised. If seeing how much it actually costs to place a 30 second ad doesn't scare you, consider the case of Seinfeld . In 1998, it was the most widely watched US sitcom.