Annual Review 2019: Keith Weed – Rebuilding the bond of trust

Keith Weed, President, Advertising Association

The past 12 months have been a landmark year for our industry as we tackle the most crucial issue we face, that of public trust in advertising. As AA President, I am committed to working with our members on a system change that will help rebuild the hugely important bond of trust between our industry and the consumer.

In March we published our paper on ‘Arresting the Decline in Public Trust in Advertising’. This document was the result of ground-breaking research by Credos and has been developed by our Trust Working Group, chaired jointly by the IPA and ISBA, whose members have been hugely supportive in our drive to tackle this issue together.

The paper outlined five key goals to restore public trust in advertising, including reducing bombardment and excessive frequency, supporting the role of ASA as advertising’s self-regulatory body, and ensuring that people’s data privacy matters. These goals are crucial to the future of our industry and I urge everyone who works in UK advertising to rally fully behind them. We have already seen significant progress in achieving our aims through initiatives like supporting the implementation of IAB UK Gold Standard, industry backing for the ASA’s new digital-focused five-year strategy, and a forthcoming best practice white paper addressing frequency capping and retargeting. In 2020,
we must build on this and keep up momentum as we look forward to demonstrating the social contribution that advertising makes to our country.

Beyond public trust and our industry’s contribution to society, we have taken a leading role in advising industry on preparations for Brexit and in representing our members to Government on this crucial issue. We have also been active in ensuring our country is rightly seen as the global hub for advertising and in encouraging exports of UK ad services to international markets.

As we prepare for another year that is likely to bring profound change for our industry and our country, we must do our utmost to work together, united in our determination to see a healthy, sustainable future for advertising. A future where we are trusted by the public and contribute wholeheartedly for the greater good of society.