IPA Publishes '20 Core Principles' Book

The IPA has launched its latest publication, Shared Beliefs, explaining the ad industry's core principles for the first time. With a cover price of £10, the book is aimed at both client and agency readers wanting to maximise their advertising.

The contents are the culmination of a three year qualitative IPA study into what makes good and great advertising. The collective view of the study is that there are 20 core principles that apply to all disciplines of marketing communications.

This project was initiated by Marilyn Baxter in 1999 when she chaired the IPA's Value of Advertising Committee as Vice Chairman Saatchi & Saatchi European. She realised that there was no single compendium of the core views of the philosophies pervading the UK's advertising, media and marketing communications agencies.

The first stage of the project was a phase of exploratory qualitative research for which the IPA commissioned Peter Field, then Planning Director of Grey, to carry out on its behalf. This took place in 1999 and drew on a sample of 25 senior people drawn from management and creative function of agencies in IPA membership. These results were discussed, documented and circulated within the Value of Advertising (VAC) and President 's Committees. The reaction was sufficiently positive to justify the next phase of research, which was then commissioned in the autumn of the year 2000.

The phase involved appointing Hall & Partners to complete the project under Mike Hall. Hall is arguably best-known for his work in identifying the different models of advertising that advertisers and agencies use as their operational guidelines.

Commenting on the book, IPA Director General Hamish Pringle said, 'These days, many practitioners are finding that they are having to defend our industry's first principles in the face of almost unbearable pressures on time and budgets. By publishing Shared Beliefs, we' ve distilled the wisdom of 40 of the most experienced and successful people in our business over a 50 year period into one pot. We hope that it will inspire all past, present and future brand owners and their architects. And remind everyone why we are so passionate about the business.'

Reviewing the title, John Hegarty of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, said, 'Only 10% of advertising is worth talking about. Read this book and we might raise that to 15%.' Steve Henry of HHCL + Partners added, 'When I started reading this, I was a bit cynical. I wondered whether the industry really needed another book on advertising! But as I started reading it, I changed my mind. And the more I read it, the more I found myself agreeing with the thoughts expressed. I'm particularly excited by the idea of sharing these views with clients, and getting their input. I think there are some great suggestions here for creating the sense of a shared agenda which agencies and their clients need to find.'

For further information, visit www.ipa.co.uk

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.