The first quarter of the 21^st century has almost passed. In this time, a new digital world has emerged, causing a huge shift in the media landscape, with online adspend rising from just 1% in 2000 to 80% today. In 2024 a new Labour government – the first in fourteen years – took the helm with new policy ideas and ambitions for how businesses can work with government to create higher, greener growth. Yet, throughout all this change, there has been one constant: the need for brands, with their agency partners and media owners, to prioritise responsible advertising in everything they do. Responsible advertising should continue to be paramount in 2025.

At the Advertising Association, we advocate on your behalf, for the role and rights of advertising to government, while also driving workstreams that aim to make the industry a better place. Though it is a collective responsibility, whatever role you play in the ecosystem, to help build a more trusted, inclusive, and sustainable landscape for the benefit of us all.

The trust advantage

First, public trust is the bedrock on which our industry lies. The Value of Trust Report from our thinktank Credos showed public trust in advertising had increased from 30% in 2022 to 36% in 2023 and trust is now the second strongest driver of brand profitability according to the IPA Effectiveness databank. 

There is an increasing imperative to do all we can to maintain a trusted ecosystem – for example, reduce bombardment and continue to prioritise the creative quality of our work. The dazzling festive advertising season may well be over but creative excellence is not just for Christmas. We can also raise the public’s trust in our industry through driving awareness of our self-regulatory system, with its industry-backed ASA campaign to highlight how ads must always be legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Playing the long game with inclusivity

Second, building a more inclusive workplace is all the more important when considering advertising’s role in holding a mirror to society. And we cannot make representative work without our industry itself being fully inclusive. 

This year, with the IPA and ISBA, we are preparing to hold our third All In Census on March 12, 2025. The anonymous survey allows anyone working in UK advertising or marketing to provide census-style data which will help shape the next steps of its action plan and benchmark companies’ progress. With the industry’s full support on March 12, I know we can exceed the previous record of 19,000 responses.  

Third, sustainability is now a mainstream expectation of any responsible brand. With the rules around environmental claims becoming increasingly stringent, there is both a reputational risk to your business and an existential risk to our future if we cannot be trusted to communicate the products and services needed to build a more sustainable life. 

Getting up to speed on the latest greenwashing training provided by the ASA or CMA is key. Alongside the campaigns you produce and messages you deliver, looking to your own business operations is vital. Organisations like Ad Net Zero, which we first founded in the UK, can provide your business with tools and resources to decarbonise your operations. In 2025, it will accelerate efforts to incorporate the Global Media Sustainability Framework, the voluntary programme to measure media emissions consistently and in line with best climate science practice, to help reduce emissions from media. 

Measuring and managing media emissions is something every part of the media supply chain should want to understand and act on.

We also know that 2025 will present challenges we are not yet aware of. Whether it will be advances in AI or emerging geopolitical issues, the advertising industry will have to adapt with agility, as it did in the pandemic. In 2024, we produced an inaugural report from our AI Taskforce, outlining the case for responsible industry adoption of AI and sharing best-practice case studies from our members. There will be more to follow from this Taskforce.

We also have a duty to ensure the next generation, in particular young people, can understand the messages they see in the advertising they view. This is where the fantastic work of Media Smart, our advertising education programme, comes in – with its resources ranging from scam advertising to digital literacy. We must continue to educate the next generation, empower them to critically assess the media landscape, whilst also stimulating an interest in creative career paths.

Ultimately, in 2025, advertising businesses that prioritise trust, inclusion, and sustainability, will not only thrive but inspire positive change. We look forward to bringing the industry together at our annual summit, LEAD, on February 6, to show the new government how our members can shape a responsible advertising industry which will generate growth and value for all corners of the UK.