Spotlighting digital advertising’s power at Parliament

Even though I’ve been to Parliament countless times, there is always something quite special about making a visit at Christmas when all the decorations are up and a somewhat uncharacteristic festive joy imbues the ancient space of Westminster Hall. 

It’s this that IAB Board members were treated to when we teamed up with Labour Digital to host their Christmas drinks in mid-December, bringing together over 100 people including our industry’s leaders, MPs, Peers and Ministers.

One of the standout moments for me was that Lord Knight of Weymouth and Tom Rutland MP both became IAB Pledge Supporters, committing to back smart regulation, support SMEs and local journalism, and maintain an ad-funded internet. You can find a full list of everyone who has signed up to the pledges here. 

It was also brilliant to hear from the Rt Hon Darren Jones MP and Josh Simons MP, who both took to the podium to address attendees, alongside IAB UK’s Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Christie Dennehy-Neil, who drew on our Digital Dividend study with Public First.  

As she said: “And digital advertising contributes a huge amount to the UK economy as a whole, generating a total of £129 billion in gross value added in 2022 and supporting 2 million jobs across the country. For every £1 invested in digital marketing, £4.80 is delivered back to the UK economy.  

“It’s hard to put such big numbers into context, but it helps if you consider that the direct economic contribution of the industry is twice that of the country’s agricultural sector and our employment footprint is 50% bigger than the automotive industry’s. So digital advertising is a significant industry and crucial to the economic health of the UK.”     

Suffice to say it was a great evening where a number of our members were able to meet and hear from MPs who are now shaping the new Government's approach to digital innovation in the UK. 

You can download Christie’s speech in full below and find all of the photos from the event here.