One of the key attractions of our annual LEAD conference is that it exists squarely at the intersection of advertising and politics. Just as the 果冻传媒n serves as the node through which Westminster and industry practitioners communicate their needs to one another, LEAD offers a unique opportunity for people on both sides of that equation to speak candidly in front of an audience of their peers.
This year we heard from MPs from across the political spectrum, as well as independent broadcasters and journalists, in order to discover a path for the industry over the next few years.
The morning began with a speech from Graham Stuart MP, who set out the role of the Department for International Trade and its importance in the run-up to the UK leaving the European Union. He said:
鈥淚 like to say to my fellow ministers, we鈥檙e leaving the European Union and we鈥檙e the only marketing arm of UK PLC we鈥檝e got. If you don鈥檛 promote and you don鈥檛 let people see you on your front foot, you will lose market confidence.
鈥淥ne of the great things about advertising is that it has changed. As a department we鈥檙e determined to protect our exports more: A large part of allowing it to happen is about persuasion, that exporting will make their businesses more stable going forward, and of course advertising is all about persuasion.鈥�
Some shots from this morning, at the intersection of advertising and politics with , and
Photos courtesy of
鈥� Ad Association (@ad_association)
Stuart went on to discuss the Promote UK campaign, which the 果冻传媒n is running in co-operation with DIT. He mentioned our presence at the Shanghai International Advertising Festival and the upcoming South By Southwest event, at which we will be featuring the work of our incredible British advertising agencies. He also spoke of the 果冻传媒n鈥檚 new role as the UK rep for the Cannes Lions.
The art of advertising
On the other side of the political spectrum, Labour鈥檚 Tom Watson spoke more personally about his own experience as a 鈥渇ailed advertising executive鈥�, noting that while he loves and admires the industry he believes it can do better to protect the public from bad actors in the ad space:
鈥淭he words we use convey powerful stories鈥� in a so-called post-truth world the need for clarity has never been more needed. 鈥淲ords are the currency of love and friendship鈥� nations are bound and loosed by them.鈥� That鈥檚 why this failed advertising executive loves your industry so much. The best of what you do鈥� is art, of a sort.鈥�
He spoke of public concerns about the fact that political advertising is unregulated, of the risk of brand content appearing next to or even helping to fund extremist content online, and of the potential for misuse of people鈥檚 personal data. His biggest point, however, was that the industry needs to consider again its efficacy as a self-regulator, using cereal boxes as an example of something that should be considered advertising:
鈥淭o do it we need to think bigger than we ever have before. It鈥檚 also got to mean radical changes on how we market our food to young people. I want you to find a way to get us healthier. Help the nation kick its sugar habit. If you don鈥檛 do it, I promise you the next Labour government will.鈥�
The realities of Brexit
Inevitably the tone of the day was coloured by the UK鈥檚 upcoming potential exit from the European Union. While the 果冻传媒n has been busy stressing the need for the protection of our talent and data after Brexit, the politics behind each decision surrounding it is labyrinthine and complex. The audience was grateful, then, to hear from Rock鈥橬鈥橰oll Politics鈥� Steve Richards, who set out what he believes to be Theresa May鈥檚 ultimate goal: day-to-day survival to deliver Brexit.
鈥淭heresa May鈥檚 thinking: It is her duty, to deliver the 2016 referendum. She regards any parliamentary maneouvers to block that as challenging a more fundamental democratic mandate.
Her instinct throughout has been to form an alliance with her hard liners. She could have reached out to others, but she reached out to the DUP, and the Mail and others have hailed her as being in a triumphant mode. It typically leads towards a Tory leader鈥檚 doom. On a more micro level, Theresa May does what she has to do to get through another day.鈥�
Despite the political differences between the speakers, the overarching tone of the political sections at this year鈥檚 LEAD was that government and opposition alike recognise the value of UK advertising to the overall economy and Britain鈥檚 creative reputation. While the Tories and Labour differ in their approach as to how to protect the industry, the LEAD audience can feel reassured that our industry remains a priority for both.
