More people in the UK now believe advertising drives positive change in society compared with three years ago.
The Advertising Association and Credos’ Social Contribution of UK Advertising 2024 study found that 44% of people think advertising drives positive change in society, up from 34% in 2021.
Among that group, 37% think advertising’s contribution is fairly positive, while 7% think it’s very positive.
Another fifth (20%) think advertising has a negative effect and 4% think it has a very negative effect. The rest are neutral.
In June, Credos’ Value of Trust research revealed that advertising’s social contribution is the second-strongest driver of public trust in advertising, after the creative quality of the ads.
The latest survey also echoes that report regarding younger people’s more positive attitudes to advertising: half of 18- to 34-year-olds believe advertising drives positive social change, compared with 28% of those aged 55-plus.
Trust in advertising bolstered by the young but remains low
Those from an ethnic minority are also more likely to view advertising as driving positive social change (58%) than white respondents (37%).
More generally, 34% agree that advertising has had a major impact on how they think about things. The same proportion of participants think advertising helps them make more sustainable purchases, with Londoners more positive about this than the rest of England (52% vs 32%).
Examples of social contribution
In 2020, the Advertising Association and Credos identified five ways for advertising to make a social contribution: raising awareness and/or money for good causes; encouraging people to make changes to lead happier lives; promoting products that are good for society; bringing people together around cultural events/messages; and promoting a more harmonious society.
Of these five types of advertising, the one most encountered by the public is “raising awareness and/or money for good causes”, chosen by 33% of respondents. Unsurprisingly, charity work is the most prominent example in this area. According to Nielsen, adspend from charities in 2023 reached £872m, up 64% from 2021.
Two campaigns highlighted by the report in this category were Breast Cancer Now “Real Talk” and Women’s Aid “It’s Coming Home”.
Other case studies in the report that show advertising making a social contribution include ITV and Veg Power’s “Eat Them to Defeat Them”, which led to an additional 981m portions of fruit and vegetables being consumed, and Aldi’s initiative with Neighbourly that donated 40m meals.
Alessandra Bellini, president of the Advertising Association, said the report is “in part a celebration of the brilliant work that is already being done, bringing together some of the leading industry awards that elevate socially beneficial work.
“But it is also about reaffirming the industry’s commitment to work that improves society.”
