advertising matters 15.9.17

Inquire within

Giving oral evidence to a Parliamentary committee on behalf of advertising isn’t just par for the course, it’s a rite of passage – and this week marked AA CEO Stephen Woodford’s second sitting in the hot chair in a year.

This time facing the House of Lords Communications Committee and their inquiry into the future of our industries, Stephen painstakingly covered the details of adland’s economic contribution to UK plc and reiterated our status as a global leader to make the case for advertising.

But it was also the perfect time to bring up our wants and needs for a Brexit exit strategy too – and Stephen focused on our sector’s need to continue attracting the best in global talent to our shores, and leveraging our economic prowess to boost wider domestic growth and underpin future trading relationships once we go it alone. Replay the scenes here if you missed the matinee.

Best in class

Pencils at the ready for a back-to-school session of adland’s favourite fisticuffs, Last One Standing, where four of the brightest young talents from agencies, brands and media battle it out on stage for your votes.

And on the 27th of September at the central London offices of hosts Google, our delegates will pitch for adland’s timeless lessons, bringing to life the wisest words ever spoken about advertising according to them – ready for the roll call?

Stepping up to the plate are Google’s Industry Manager Fleur and marketer for McDonald’s Thomas. They’ll be competing with McCann planner Emily and adam&eveDDB strategy director Tom – and all four will be kept in line by the Drum Deputy Cameron Clarke. We’re still taking names, so get your (free) tickets and (free) beer for the night right here.

Ads on tour

Quite a few travel plans in the calendar this week – first up, an AA-organised staycation for DCMS civil servants to visit the distinct parts of the advertising ecosystem; tripping all over London to Facebook, Dentsu Aegis and adam&eveDDB – with our policy team in tow for a natter about upcoming challenges to the sector.

As for the rest of adland, they could be found over on the mainland at dmexco – soaking up the latest on business, innovation and the digital economy. HMG’s Department of International Trade was in attendance, gleaning nuggets of information from the various panels across the two-day conference.

Here’s your cheat sheet to the wealth of insights revealed in Cologne: branded content is the future; you’ll go far with a fun and inclusive company culture, archaic business norms remain a barrier to digital success – and despite widespread digital disruption, creativity remains a human skill, and its power remains key to effective communication.

You’ve read the whole thing! You deserve a treat – our ad of the week: