New APPG brings closer links between the advertising industry and parliamentarians
With revenue of £40 billion and exports of £15 billion, advertising is a vital part of the UK growth agenda, say industry leaders
From TV commercials and YouTube ads to digital and social media content, advertising is big business these days.
The UK’s £40 billion advertising industry is a world leader, spanning the creative sector and professional business services and contributing massively to the economy, people, communities and society at large.
The industry is growing consistently year on year in the UK and has won more awards for its creativity than any other country apart from the US. Its exports grew to £15 billion – making the industry a powerful partner for the Government’s aspirations for growth. Only the US exports more than us.
With growth at the very top of the government agenda, the three giants of the advertising industry, the Advertising Association, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA), joined together to launch the Advertising APPG.
The new APPG showcases the successes of the advertising industry in areas such as responsible advertising, jobs, regional investment, export and AI, to grow the sector even further. It also fosters closer ties between parliamentarians and the industry to highlight the challenges faced by the sector.
Speaking at the APPG’s House of Commons launch in January, Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association, told MPs, peers and leading members of the industry that the UK, with its digital and technology-driven expertise, is “an exceptional market” for advertising.
He highlighted that, as well as offering big opportunities for growth and innovation, the advertising industry brings positive societal benefits too.
Research shows that the industry is recognised as “a force for good in society”, particularly when it comes to advertising campaigns that support positive behaviour change, such as encouraging people to get vaccinated or raising awareness of cancer screenings. The UK also has a world-class self-regulatory system, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), ensuring that ads are legal, decent, honest and truthful.
“It’s important to remember that this is a UK-wide industry,” said Stephen Woodford. “Around a million jobs are connected with our industry and its ancillary businesses – and 60% of those jobs are outside London, with particular strengths in the big conurbations. Manchester and the North West are a real powerhouse for our industry but there are big centres for our business in Scotland, Leeds, the West Country and Bristol too.
“We’re a national business – and a very commercial business. We’re about helping businesses to compete and innovate. The public sees how advertising shakes opinions and they love seeing the UK portrayed in all its diverse glory in diverse advertising.”
The Prime Minister recently announced plans to “turbocharge” the UK’s use of AI and Stephen Woodford acknowledged that despite differing views about the benefits and risks, it is “going to be central” to the development of the industry. AI is currently used to do everything from generating and creating copy to predicting the performance of advertising campaigns.
Dame Karen Bradley MP, former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the new Chair of the Advertising APPG, agreed that AI “is already changing the way we do so many things”.
She also told guests that parliamentarians can learn “an awful lot” from the advertising industry – particularly about the power of persuasion. “You are very much the expert at it,” she said. “You’re really good at persuasion and there’s a lot we can learn from you.”
Other speakers at the launch included Paul Bainsfair, Director General of the IPA, and Rob Newman, Director of Public Affairs at ISBA.
Paul Bainsfair reminded industry guests that the relationship between politicians and advertising dates back more than 100 years – to when David Lloyd George was Prime Minister. And that even then Lloyd George recognised the power of advertising and called influential figures in the industry together in 1917 to help with the war effort.
“It’s changed a lot since those days, from pamphlets and posters to AI and influencers,” said Paul Bainsfair. “Today the UK advertising industry is very different but it doesn’t just make great ads. It’s a vital part of our economy and creative sector – an important lever for economic growth.”
He paid tribute to the talented people who make up the UK creative industries and highlighted the fact that creating great ads “leads to the growth of brands – and brands lead to growth in the economy”.
“Please talk about it, please support it, because when advertising thrives, the economy thrives,” he said.
ISBA’s Rob Newman said that as well as celebrating the contribution that advertising makes to the economy, the APPG would highlight the important work that the industry does on critical issues such as housing, climate change and sustainability – “making sure that advertising is representative of our society, both in front of and behind the camera, and making sure that ads are accessible to everybody.”
For more information on how to get involved, please email PGA@adassoc.org.uk
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