The author is professor of mass communications and co-director of the communication research division in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin. His current research interests focus on advertising effectiveness, compulsive consumption and political advertising. He has published in numerous journals includng the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Advertising and the Journal of Marketing and is currently a member of the publications and editorial review boards of several leading journals.