NewsLine Column: A View From The Floor At The PPA
Last week the UK magazine industry’s annual conference threw up a number of key issues for advertisers. James Papworth, ad marketing manager at IPC Prospector, takes us through some of the highlights…
In my time I’ve attended a fair number of trade conferences organised by industry bodies from every media imaginable. More often than not the day’s format, with which you are all familiar, is to gulp enough coffee at morning registration to keep you alert until the 11.00am break when you gulp enough coffee to keep you alert until lunch.
I’m pleased to announce that the PPA conference last week did not run to that plan.
The caffeine effect kicked-in as normal but wasn’t actually needed, being superseded by the very interesting, very animated, ‘celebrity’ guest speaker line-up.
After all, it’s not every day that Leonard Lauder (chairman of the multibillion pound cosmetics giant), John Philip-Jones (venerated advertising effectiveness expert) and Lord Saatchi (advertising mogul, chairman of the Conservative Party and pal of ‘domestic goddess’ Nigella Lawson) appear on the same bill.
First up was an introduction from PPA chief executive, Ian Locks. He boldly pointed out that the success of the magazine industry had been maintained amid (recently) harsh economic conditions and in the face of “creeping” Government legislation and a disturbing trend toward centralised bureaucracy. Magazines have got along just fine under self-regulation, why change it?
This point was picked up on by Lord Saatchi. His amusing tale of working for Michael Heseltine (his first employer) and Lord Rothermere (Saatchi and Saatchi’s first client) was top-n-tailed by a number of political points. Most pertinent to this ensemble of opinion-formers were the Tory’s lack of interest in taxing magazine sales (aka no V.A.T) and reaffirmation of the Conservative belief in decentralisation, allowing each man to be ‘the captain of his soul”. Closer integration with Europe, Lord Saatchi pointed out, may take those decisions out of our hands.
Next up was John Phillip Jones, truly one of the old-school-larger-than-life-academics of advertising. For most of us this was the first time we’d been exposed to JPJ. A hyperactive Patrick Moore was perhaps the most common description in the bar later. Maybe he’d been at the registration coffee too?
The inventor of STAS (Short Term Advertising Strength) and an obviously passionate and animated advocate of magazine advertising, JPJ pointed out the proven sales benefits of magazines, particularly when included in a TV-biased schedule. Among the audience of some 400 advertisers, agencies and publishers only the most cynical would not have been swayed.
After the coffee break, although there was no need for caffeine, the PPA reaffirmed the usefulness of the new NRS Readership Accumulation – particularly when twinned with STAS – prior to the audience participation section, the panel Q&A.
A selection of agency and publisher personnel gave their advice on how best to tackle magazine advertising issues. Collaboration and openness were the over-riding views of the panel.
Last but not least was the closing speech from Leonard Lauder. Another big name, and big personality, Mr Lauder started well by telling us: “Magazines are the foundation of our company and the cornerstone of the building of our brand equity. In a sense, we would not be in business today were it not for magazines.”
Happy to have helped out, the appreciative crowd allowed him to continue in the same vein, telling us that only in magazines could Estée Lauder launch a brand or product economically, position a brand and project a sustainable brand image.
His advice for the future was to see advertising as a key part of editorial content saying, “You have to be thoughtful about how you put together your book and put your prestige advertising upfront. In the long run it will benefit your magazine as it will continue to be a valued source of advertising for everyone.”
Wise words. After all, when a guy who can have coffee with Carolyn Murphy and Liz Hurley any time he fancies it offers you advice, maybe you should take it.
Normal service was then resumed in the shape of an awards lunch with extended drinks for dessert. Sometimes when a conference follows the rules, it’s not such a bad thing.
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