Consumers are twice as likely to trust the advertising industry following the latest campaign from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), one of the regulator’s key priorities.
Research conducted by the ASA and industry body the Advertising Association (AA) found that a third of those who had seen or heard the ads said they trusted the advertising industry (33%) – more than twice the amount of those who had not seen the campaign (14%).
They were also twice as likely to trust adverts in the future than those who hadn’t seen the ASA campaign.
These results will come as welcome news to the regulator, whose key priorities include rebuilding public trust in UK advertising. The effort was led by the AA’s Trust Working Group, chaired by the IPA and ISBA director generals, Paul Bainsfair and Phil Smith.
The campaign has now become a vital cog in the ASA’s trust strategy, with thinktank Credos showing that when people are made aware the ad industry is regulated, they are more likely to trust in and have favourable views of the sector as a whole.
“We’re delighted that our UK-wide cross-media ad campaign continues to drive trust in the ASA and, by extension, trust in the ad industry,” said ASA CEO Guy Parker.
“Awareness and buy-in of the ASA system is a key strand in our new five-year strategy and our ad campaign plays a crucial role in helping achieve our ambitious targets.”
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“The ongoing support of our partners, agencies, brands and media, is invaluable. Our ads resonate with audiences and help land our messages, including that the ASA regulates advertising claims on social media and companies’ own websites.
He continued: “Crucially, trust in the ASA continues to be significantly higher among those who say they have seen or heard our ads than those who haven’t. That’s more reason to look forward to the next phase of our campaign.”
The campaign also helped to boost trust levels in ads across all types of media, with trust in online ads jumping from 15% to 36% among those who saw the campaign, while trust in TV ads rose from 31% to 36%.
AA CEO Stephen Woodford added: “Trust is the top priority for the AA’s membership and is at the core of our work. This campaign and these results show how consistent cross-channel communication can help increase awareness of how ASA regulation underpins public trust.
“As the ASA invests in new technology and launches a new five-year strategy, we’re encouraging everyone to consider what they can do to support the upcoming 2024 campaign.”
Led by a creative from the Leith Agency, the campaign received significant backing from the media sector – running across ITV, News UK, Sky, Mail Metro Media, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Channel 4, Bauer, K107, Future and Reach, as well as social media and out-of-home.
