European Commission adopts Work Programme for 2014

Brussels, 22 October 2013: the European Commission published its Work Programme for 2014. The document sets the priorities for the Commission’s work and highlights the need to promote citizens' rights, from consumer protection to data protection and privacy.

Annex I of the document sets out a list of proposals which the Commission considers to be of key importance, and which are sufficiently advanced to have a realistic chance of adoption in the coming months, such as the Data Protection Regulation.

At the same time, the Commission is working on a limited number of new initiatives to be presented in 2014: "2014 will be a year of delivery and implementation", President Barroso said. "It is only through decisive and relentless action that we can show the citizens and businesses of Europe that they can look to the future with confidence. This is what the Work Programme 2014 is all about: decisive action. We will work hard to accelerate implementation on the ground.”

Read the full document here.

45 finalists announced for the 2013 IMC Awards

Brussels, 14 October 2013: 45 finalists have been selected in this year’s IMC European Awards for Integrated Marketing Communications with the United Kingdom leading with 19 finalists, followed by The Netherlands (10), Belgium (8), Czech Republic (4), Ireland (3) and Spain (1).
 
The selection was made by a jury panel made up of industry professionals across Europe. Outstanding finalists were BBDO (Belgium), Geometry Global (UK), Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Publicis Group (Ireland) who received a total of 3 nominations each for their campaigns 'Ethias Neigborhood Fixers', 'Triumph Essence Launch at Selfridges', 'Why wait until it's too late' and 'When it rains it pours' respectively.
 
Agencies with two finalist campaigns each are: Belgian agencies darw!n with '99%' and BBDO/TBWA/Ogilvy/Dallas with 'From Zero to Hero', Czech agencies Ogilvy Prague/Ogilvy Action with their campaign 'Live London', Dutch agencies Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam with 'Aurora’s Idea' and Publicis with 'I have already died', British agencies The Leith Agency, 23red, Agency Space, Arc London and Arnold KLP with 'Let's talk about Breasts', 'Stoptober', 'The Bulmers Way', 'The Untouchable Covers' and 'Transform your patch' respectively.
 
For more information and to see the list of finalists, click here.
 
About IMCC
The IMCC is one of the 5 councils of EACA and focuses on integrated marketing communications. Its mission is to represent the integrated marketing communications agencies and agency associations in Europe. It acts as a central source of information for the industry and assists in the development of the reputation and professionalism of the industry across Europe by focusing on three key areas:  best practice, lobbying and recognition by way of an international Awards competition, ‘The IMC European Awards’. For more information, click here. 

Frankfurt am Main, 29 October 2013: Based on the EACA’s talent survey on the opportunities of young professionals in agencies, the general association of the German communication agencies (GWA) organised a roundtable on 'Career entry in advertising agencies'.

The roundtable hosted representatives from Werbeliebe, advertising agencies, media schools and media at the International School of Management in Frankfurt. The basis of the open dialogue was the open letter written by Werbeliebe with the claim ‘Added value begins with appreciation’.

Representatives from Werbeliebe stated: “Students are discouraged from working in agencies due to a combination of lousy pay for beginners and juniors, a lot of overtime and lack of systematic talent development.” Philipp Bierbaum responded: “There are not only black sheep but also more and more agencies that attempt to invest in staff development and pay better.”

Even though the participants did not reach a final agreement, they decided to continue the dialogue.

For more information, please contact Wendy Nowland, PR manager at GWA: wendy.nowland@gwa.de

Madrid, 3 October 2013: over 31 bodies from the Spanish advertising sector presented a new campaign to promote the social and economic relevance of their industry in a recession-hit country.

The campaign was originally born from the Spanish Association of Communications Agencies (AEACP); it has since been developed through Innocean Worldwide, with help from the Spanish Association of Advertisers (AEA). The idea was born in the summer of 2010, in order to promote the value of the industry and of its activities in external communication as an engine for economic growth.

Entitled ¡Publicidad, Si! (or Yes to Advertising!), the campaign is built around a novel idea, which is to unite two brands in one public message. It has chosen very recognisable campaigns from different advertisers which are then introduced by a spokesman from the second brand, explaining the importance of advertising and how it exists to benefit all of us. In fact, they say, advertising is so relevant that the brands have allowed themselves to share the same space to defend it.

The campaign comprises seven TV spots and four graphic billboards, each one highlighting a benefit offered by advertising.  For example, the viewer can see a spot by Danone’s Activia. Alongside it, Ricardo de Diego, director of marketing for Kia, explains how advertising guarantees brands like Danone an affordable, high-quality method of communication with their customers. Diego believes so much in the value of advertising, he says, that he is able to appear in an ad for another brand to make his point.  
 
To this end, the organisers have established a set of key principles that articulate and put into practice the values of advertising. To date, 31 associations and businesses have signed up to the platform, which is as follows:
 

1. Advertising represents the most efficient way to spread knowledge about investments and businesses.
2. It is an engine of wellbeing, one that facilitates the success of ideas that benefit our society.
3. Advertising is a fundamentally important driver of competition and of the generation of return on investments.
4. Advertising transmits important information to make easier the free choice of products and services in a competitive environment.
5. Advertising sustains the mass media, which guarantees us free information and entertainment that is affordable and of a high quality.
6. Advertising promotes the diffusion of fundamental values and ideas about equality, solidarity and social progress.
7. Advertising represents a very important economic sector that directly generates 2.6% of GDP. The sector is a dynamic employer.
8. Advertising brings some of the most creative talent and innovation to society.
9. The advertising industry, conscious of its capacity to influence, has chosen to regulate itself and practice socially-responsible conduct.
10. Spanish advertising is one of the best-reputed economic sectors outside Spain, recognised by numerous global institutions, multinational businesses and international industry contests.

To find out more about the campaign, please click here.

Fifth of agencies suffer poor pitch practice
London, 28 October 2013: a fifth of agencies have experienced a negative pitch process, the IPA’s new quarterly survey on pitching practice reveals.

The survey shows that during the period of Q1 to Q3,

• 20% respondents indicated that the overall management of the pitch process was poor or very poor.
• 63% described the management of the pitch process as excellent (10%), very good (23%), or good (30%).
• 12% of respondents reported that it was fair.
• 5% described it as neither good nor poor.

“This survey therefore provides an invaluable snapshot as to which areas clients and agencies should focus on in order to create the ideal pitch process”, said Cormac Loughran, Co-Chair of the IPA New Business and Marketing Group.

Q4 results will be published in January 2014. Any member agencies who would like to complete this survey can contact Zoe Mitchell on zoem@ipa.co.uk.


2014 IPA Effectiveness Awards open for entry
London, 24 October 2013: the 2014 IPA Effectiveness Awards is open for entry with new prizes, reverting to a biennial timetable by absorbing the odd-year Limited competition.

Between October 2013 and April 2014, entrants will also be able to take advantage of a series of free workshops and an IPA-subsidised Awards Advisory Service, if they pre-register by the end of January 2014.

Entries can be from an agency, client or media owner; joint; or fully collaborative across a number of companies. The deadline for entries is 30 April 2014, however, those who pre-register before 31 January 2014 will receive 25% off the final cost of entry.

The 2014 competition also has three new special prizes:

• Best Multi-market,
• Effectiveness Network of the Year, and
• Small Budget.

For more information and to see the full list of prizes, please click here.


Q3 2013 Bellwether Report reveals highest ever recorded rise in marketing spend
London, 17 October 2013: the latest IPA Bellwether survey shows that marketing spend was revised higher in Q3 at the strongest rate in nearly 13 years.

The report revealed a net balance of 12.3% of companies registering an increase in budgets during Q3 2013. That compared to +7.3% in Q2 and was a fourth consecutive reading above zero.

Q3’s survey indicated that confidence for companies regarding their own financial prospects had grown to the greatest degree in eight-and-a-half years, with the net balance of firms becoming more optimistic reaching +49.2% (up from +27.6% in the previous quarter).

The results adds further to the evidence of a strengthening business climate in the UK and bolsters hopes that official data will show a strong expansion of the economy in the second half of 2013.

“This latest Bellwether report indicates that companies are beginning to move forward away from the recession and that the UK economy is on the rise again. This optimism will send a continued upbeat message to the advertising industry and the wider economy” - said IPA Director General Paul Bainsfair;
 
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