Putting our industry on the Front Foot

Front Foot is a very special club for the leaders of the UK advertising industry. It brings together members from across advertisers, media owners and agencies. Our members provide the funding for the crucial work of UK advertising think tank, Credos, and a strong set of ambassadors to ensure that advertising’s future is strong and vibrant.

Front Foot includes every part of the UK advertising industry, united to build evidence, drive engagement and advocate advertising’s contribution to the economy, to society and to people. Credos consistently delivers ground- breaking research to explain our industry’s contribution to the country’s economic and cultural life.

2019 was the year in which our mission to increase public trust in our industry took centre stage. As Front Foot Chairman, this is an issue close to my heart. I believe that, as professionals in the advertising and marketing industries, it is vital we renew and restore the bond between brands and the consumer.

This can only happen if we work together as an industry. In April, we held a breakfast event at Jellyfish’s office in London for members to look at the factors behind this declining trust in advertising and to come up with strategies and plans to improve this. We continue the work on our action plan to restore this lost trust, and the Credos team has taken its associated research on tour, presenting on the issue to hundreds of people at over 35 different companies.

But public trust isn’t the only area where our work has been focused this year. We have also supported the launch of Advertising Pays 7: UK Advertising’s Digital Revolution – a unique look at what the impact of technology has done to the shape and size of our industry. Front Foot members were treated to an exclusive preview at a dinner in partnership with Google UK in May, before the official launch at IAB Engage in June.

Looking ahead, 2020 will be the year where we look to promote advertising’s social contribution and the way our industry adds so much to the life of our country. This impact can come through charity initiatives, donated inventory, public health campaigns or a wide variety of other ways. As an industry, we will also be looking closely at the issue of climate change and the role that advertising can play in creating a more sustainable future for our world.

The Front Foot team has planned a superb schedule of events for the year ahead in support of the work of Credos and the AA’s wider plans to address the decline of public trust in advertising. To all our members, I look forward to seeing you at one of these events soon – Front Foot is your forum for debate, engagement, and networking.

Finally, if you would like to know more about Front Foot and how you can get involved, we would love to hear from you!

For more information contact: Sharon.LloydBarnes@adassoc.org.uk