The UK marketing industry gathered in London to discuss the future – and the storytelling that will drive it
he job of advertising is all about communication, and that extends to conversations within
Corp talked about the privilege and pressure of reporting on the UK pandemic when it was still an unknown quantity. “We had a responsibility. We had to sift through something that we were still feeling our way on, and none of us were experts. It was tough for our teams to come in personally, not knowing if their families were safe. I’m really proud of public service broadcast news.” The pandemic underlined how important front-line, eyewitness journalism is, Corp said. When Russia reinvaded Ukraine in February, Corp had to deploy ITV journalists to cover an even more unpredictable crisis. “A conflict on that scale, we haven’t done for years,” explained Corp. “Sending teams out, some of whom haven’t had the experience, was tough. We didn’t know the scale at first, but it quickly became clear Russia was throwing everything at it. “It all starts with the team on the ground. We don’t say: ‘We want you to get in your car and go to this place today.’
the industry itself. This summer’s Big Think conference in London brought together UK-based experts, to brainstorm better ways of helping consumers. Hosted by TV marketing body Thinkbox, the event took place at Bafta on 14 June. The conference didn’t just focus on advertising, but on television itself, and its relationship with an audience that is still powerful – even in a world of 24/7 on-demand media. Morning kicked off with a discussion featuring Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee. Not especially relevant to advertising, the fireside chat nevertheless underlined the power of storytelling, and the richness that could result in giving writers free reign to create. Other speakers included Andy Nairn of the Lucky Generals agency, who talked about his book Go Luck Yourself , focusing on how to innovate and practise being...
FOR THE CAUSE Chaka Sobhani spoke about ads as tools of change
well, lucky. And Boyd Hilton, entertainment director for Heat and contributing editor at Empire , explored TV’s cultural power. ITV NEWS IN THE HOT ZONE Incoming CEO of ITN, Rachel Corp, was interviewed by her colleague and news presenter Nina Hossain, concerning her new responsibilities, and challenges in her previous position as editor of ITV News.
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