The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers has published the results of their investigations into the outdoor advertising industry, which commenced in February this year.
The major findings of the ISBA report are:
a lack of accountability over the origin and destination of discounts
The subject of who takes legal responsibility for booking and payment should be addressed on a shared basis by all parties
Areas that would benefit from joint action include improvements to research and the site classification system; the development of a more formal accredition and trading structure and the creation of a forum for buyers and sellers to agree issues.
ISBA will publish a set of “Best Practice” guidelines for advertisers in 1994.
Peter Marr, ISBA director of media services commented, “We regard it as fundamental that an advertiser should know who is working on his behalf and what they are being paid, the way in which his budget is being spent, and who is answerable for that expenditure” The report blames a complex invoicing system for the doubts over commission and discounts.
Kenneth Miles, the director general of ISBA, summarised the report by saying there were no basic structural faults in the industry that could not be put right by the application of the Best Practice guidelines; “On the whole we found that advertisers value the outdoor business and its flexibility and recognize that there is genuine competition with a fairly wide range of choice.”
