IPA Pursues Plans For Single Communications Trade Body
The Institute Of Practitioners In Advertising (IPA) is again considering the possibility of creating a single unified trade body to represent the communications industry and has commissioned a report to examine the idea more closely.
The report commissioned by the IPA, the Marketing Communication Consultants Association (MCCA) and the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA), will look at how the three agency bodies can best meet the current and future needs of their members and the industry.
Mark Boleat of Boleat Consulting has been commissioned to produce the report which could lead to a merger of the three bodies, or the creation of a new agency trade body comprising two or more associations.
The IPA’s ‘big tent’ initiative to create an umbrella trade organisation suffered a set back earlier this year after the Direct Marketing Association rejected proposals to merge its agency section to create a single trade body. However, this has not deterred the IPA from pursuing the idea.
Bruce Haines, IPA president and group CEO of Leo Burnett, said: “Following a useful dialogue in the context of the ‘big tent’ initiative, we felt that having an independent expert on trade bodies look at each of our businesses and representative organisations with an open mind was the professional way to proceed.”
Graham Lancaster, chairman of the PRCA and Biss Lancaster Euro RSCG, added: “Public relations consultancies face many of the same issues as advertising, media, direct marketing and customer relationship management agencies and it makes sense to look at the possible synergies between our trade bodies.”
The findings of the report will presented to a steering committee comprising the president of chairman of each of three trade bodies in November.
Last week the IPA launched a new annual award scheme to honour the best creative talent, judging them by their performance at other industry awards throughout the year. The new awards will be called the “best of the best” and will be presented by one time advertising executive and veteran film director, Alan Parker (see IPA Launches New Award Scheme For Creatives).
IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.uk
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