Ad Pays 8: UK advertising’s social contribution

The latest in the Advertising Pays series of reports, which examine our industry’s economic and social contribution, has been launched at LEAD 2020. Advertising Pays 8: UK Advertising’s Social Contribution focuses on the many ways that industry supports social good across the UK. The report has been written by advertising’s think tank, Credos, and includes brand new consumer research into the public’s thoughts on our industry and the contribution it makes to UK society. Download the report via the box on the right.

Advertising Pays 8 includes real-world case studies that demonstrate our industry’s social contribution in action. This can range from inventory donated to good causes, to health and well being campaigns, and the many hours dedicated by industry professionals to CSR activities. We gathered an extensive number of case studies during our research for Ad Pays 8 and have created a special online hub to showcase the campaigns we studied. We will grow this on an ongoing basis, so head over to our hub and learn more from examples of our industry’s social contribution.

The report’s focus reflects the Advertising Association’s new mission statement, which was also launched at LEAD 2020. In the new statement, the Advertising Association pledges: To promote the role and rights of responsible advertising and its value to people, society, businesses and the economy.

The report also shows the opportunity that exists to rebuild declining public trust in our industry through advertising that makes a clear social contribution. This can range from media inventory donated to good causes to the pro-bono work of world-class creative agencies, and from the advertising campaigns that promote behaviour change nationwide to the thousands of hours volunteered by UK advertising professionals in corporate social responsibility activities.

The new consumer research in the report delves into the changing expectations of what people want to see from advertising and asks if industry is being responsible enough. See two sneak peeks from the research below. The results of the research and the wider report highlight the great opportunities that exist for our industry to fulfil a critical role in shaping society for the better.