Advertising industry responds to Minister's Big Society call

28 October 2010

The Minister for Culture, Ed Vaizey MP, has this evening called on the advertising industry to step forward and play its part in the creation of the Big Society. Speaking at a forum of advertising industry leaders, the Minister highlighted the role advertising can play as a significant contributor to the UK economy, in stimulating media and the arts and in delivering policy aims.

Ed Vaizey MP said:

"The Big Society is about empowering people with choice and the freedom to help themselves and their own communities. It's about less Government micromanagement and greater responsibility for all. I want the advertising industry to step up and play its part in making this vision a reality. Advertising embodies choice and the industry's creative expertise can inspire new solutions to the challenges of the day both nationally and locally."

The Minister also hailed the industry's economic strength, saying: "Advertising is leading the economy with a predicted growth of 5.4% in ad-spend in 2010 – ahead of even the most ambitious forecasts for the economy as a whole. This is good news for those in advertising, but for the wider economy too - every pound invested in advertising is a pound invested in growth."

Responding to the Minister's call to action, Tim Lefroy, Chief Executive of the Advertising Association, said:

"We too believe that advertising has a critical role to play in building the Big Society and we are up for the challenge. The advertising industry is a UK success story: we are helping to grow the economy, we deliver choice and we are proof that an industry can successfully self-regulate and protect consumers. Our expertise can help to build the vision of the Big Society and we are keen to work in partnership with Government in the coming months and years to create new ways of tackling some of the most important issues we face as a society."

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