Pringle Heralds A New Era For The IPA
A new era begins at the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) tomorrow when Hamish Pringle succeeds Nick Phillips as director general of the industry body.
Last night, over 300 guests gathered at the British Museum to honour Phillips, with a series of sincere and witty tributes from John Bartle, Graham Hinton, Rupert Howell, Martin Bowley and more.
Phillips in turn paid tribute to the IPA presidents he has worked with, to his colleagues, and to the support of his “shopaholic” wife. He also reminded everyone of the esteem in which British advertising, media and media research is held.
The new era is ushered in today in an article by Pringle in FT Creative Business, where he outlines the challenges ahead.
Pringle lists the ‘enemies’ whom he hopes to win over as allies (and maybe even friends).
“The war,” he says, “is against our global competitors in the continuing campaign to retain and build upon UK plc’s leading position in the world’s premier league of creative industries.”
“The “enemies” are many and various, but thankfully the majority bear no real malice towards our industry. Their opposition is based largely on a lack of understanding of the vital role that advertising and marketing communications play in the economy.”
He criticises UK politicians who don’t realise that advertising finances the programme content of huge swathes of broadcast, print and new media, and European politicians who try to ban advertising on protectionist or hypocritical grounds.
He also rounds on “politically inspired lobby groups whose solution to any social ill is to blame advertising and seek to have it banned.”
He speaks of CEOs who still need persuading of the importance of measuring marketing and of old-fashioned finance directors and city analysts who believe advertising is a cost, not an investment.
He calls on the advertising industry “to marshall its energies and talents and use its collective strength not only to keep our allies but to win over our critics, debunk the charlatans among us and build our clients.”
Pringle (50) was previously director of marketing strategy on a consultancy basis at the IPA, as well as a director of a music dotcom company and a successful business author. He has also worked in senior positions at major agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Leagas Delaney, Abbott Mead Vickers, BBDO, Publicis, and BMP DDB.
IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.uk
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive