The Advertising Association, the umbrella trade organisation for
trade bodies in the advertisers, media buying and ad agency sectors, is
seeking its first UK public affairs agency.
While it handles its European and UK monitoring and lobbying in-house,
the association is looking for occasional support and advice for UK
government relations work, subject to approval by its 28 members.
The association is keen to promote self-regulation in the industry and
has recently sought assurances from the Government that the remit for
its proposed Food Standards Agency will not extend to food
advertising.
Sara Price, head of public affairs at the Advertising Association, said:
’The Government is putting out a huge number of consultation papers and
an enormous amount of legislation so we felt it would be useful to have
access to a public affairs agency’.
Last month, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, which
represents advertising agencies invited pitches for a PR agency to
promote the image of the industry as a whole. The Incorporated Society
of British Advertisers retains the Communication Group for public
affairs advice.
