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Unlocking global growth: how the UK’s new industrial strategy can turbo-charge creative exports

Unlocking global growth: how the UK’s new industrial strategy can turbo-charge creative exports
Conlon (front row, second from left) and UK Advertising delegates held a roundtable at Cannes Lions. Image credit: Advertising Association
Opinion

Government recognises the ad industry for its role in driving growth at an opportune time for expanding international business.


As the curtain falls on another standout year at Cannes Lions, the UK Government has just launched the new Creative Industries Sector Plan, as part of its Industrial Strategy. It couldn’t be better timed. After months of industry consultation, we now have a strategic framework that recognises the UK’s creative economy as a global powerhouse. At the core of the plan is advertising, acknowledged for powering growth both at home and internationally. This focus is backed by the Advertising Association’s latest Ad Pays report, which reveals the UK exported an impressive £17.9bn worth of advertising services in 2024. This new strategy’s landmark framework places advertising and its exports potential front and centre. It directly reflects the impact of the work the UK Advertising Exports Group (UKAEG) and our members demonstrated through its trade mission last month. https://uk.themedialeader.com/government-earmarks-380m-for-creative-industries/ Ameeta Virk, MBE from the Department for Business and Trade, captured this momentum: “It’s been a pleasure to be at Cannes Lions, showcasing the UK’s world-leading excellence in creativity. As the world’s second-largest exporter of advertising services, the UK’s creative industries are vital to economic growth. “Our partnership with UKAEG is built on a shared ambition to elevate UK advertising on the global stage and unlock new opportunities.”

A focused trade mission

UKAEG took over 40 businesses to the international festival under the banner of UK Advertising, with the Government’s Department for Business and Trade, alongside industry partners Bauer Media Outdoor, Pinterest, Sky Media, Mail Metro Media, Seedtag, Channel 4, Bauer Media, Marketreach. Our goal was simple: to give UK advertising and marketing services companies the platform and connections they need to grow internationally. The value of a focused, curated programme during Cannes Lions was clear. Our series of country meet-ups, where UK companies met directly with partners from China, Saudi Arabia, the US, and Europe went beyond simple introductions, helping to build concrete plans for expanding international business and follow-up trade missions. “A curated programme allows you to really maximise your time and extract real value from being here”, commented Max Clark, founder of creative outfit Shoot to Kill Studios. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgp54vH-SFU Take Saudi Arabia as an example. Last year’s roundtable at Cannes Lions paved the way for the first advertising sector trade mission to the Kingdom, which has already delivered tangible commercial growth for UK firms. This year, we came together again to map out the next phase, with further announcements expected ahead of the Athar Festival in October. Meanwhile during the festival itself, through our role as UK representatives, we’ve seen the UK step up its leadership more broadly. Whether it’s through VCCP, led by our UKAEG chair Julian Douglas, collecting five wins for their AI-driven “Daisy VS Scammers” campaign for O2; our three jury presidents, including OMG EMEA’s Dan Clays as head of the media jury; or the three UK Grand Prix won for Dove’s “Real Beauty” and Channel 4’s Paralympics campaigns; the importance of seeing the UK’s voice and work represented on the global stage cannot be underestimated in order to do more business for international clients. The Government’s commitment to backing our industry at home and on the global stage is a positive signal. This is our chance to demonstrate our advertising, marketing and media businesses’ capabilities and highlight the UK as a great place to do business.


Aisling Conlon is international trade director at the Advertising Association.

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