Thames Computers Blog

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) the online advertising trade body is trying to improve its political stance with a move to increase its influence in Westiminster by appointing Guy Phillipson who will be Head of Regulatory affairs.

Guy’s role is to liaise with the government, regulators and industry bodies – including the Advertising Standards Authority, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Ofcom – to promote IAB guidelines to regulate online advertising.

Since online advertising has been self regulating to date with advertising agencies, the ad networks and the advertisers all working to their own best practices its widely expected that Guy will review the self-regulatory framework.

Since more and more people are concerned with the industries stance to targeting children, or adverting food to children it is believe tighter regulatory control is needed.

Direct response advertising agencies are noticing a shift in their clients advertising activity as TV audiences are moving away from the phone to the Internet. Direct response TV commercials are not always the nicest or cleverest and never award winning but many are amazing affective. Direct response commercials are the ones that have “Buy Now Call 0800 000 xxx” plastered all over them. Most are not fancy but they do work well for agencies clients.

Advertising agencies have noticed that more and more responses from TV commercials and Radio Ads are coming via the Internet rather than over the phone. Historically the higher percentage of responses have normally been generated by the phone but in 2007 Internet is starting to rearrange the balance, with 70% of all responses via the internet.