They have come together to launch Thinkbox, a television marketing body. It is backed by ITV, Channel 4, Five, GMTV, IDS, Sky, Turner Broadcasting and Viacom Brand Solutions and has £1.5m in funding for the launch phase.
Thinkbox will try to prove to advertisers that television is the perfect medium, not just for big brand building campaigns but also for direct response work. It will also promote the medium as a way to reach narrow audiences. Thinkbox will argue that television advertising can work for any budget.
The body has been set up after research showed that advertisers did not think the television industry was doing enough to promote itself. It follows in the footsteps of other media, including radio and newspapers, which are promoted by the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Newspaper Marketing Association respectively.
Thinkbox is structured with an eight-member board responsible for the body's direction and overall strategy.
The board comprises Nick Bampton, managing director of Viacom Brand Solutions; Andy Barnes, sales director of Channel 4; Clive Crouch, sales director of GMTV; Graham Duff, managing director of ITV Sales; Mark Howe, managing director of IDS; Dee Forbes, senior vice-president of advertising sales at Turner Broadcasting; Mark White, executive director of sales at Five; and Mark Wood, commercial director of Sky Media.
They will be supported by a working group drawn from the member companies and will have a remit to develop the individual initiatives and act as a taskforce to drive specific activities.
The launch of Thinkbox next week comes as media buying agency ZenithOptimedia predicts a 12% rise in spending on television advertising in the first quarter of the year ahead of the general election, expected to take place in May.
Thinkbox's eight member companies each pay a yearly membership fee and make a contribution linked to their national revenue share.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
Thinkbox will try to prove to advertisers that television is the perfect medium, not just for big brand building campaigns but also for direct response work. It will also promote the medium as a way to reach narrow audiences. Thinkbox will argue that television advertising can work for any budget.
The body has been set up after research showed that advertisers did not think the television industry was doing enough to promote itself. It follows in the footsteps of other media, including radio and newspapers, which are promoted by the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Newspaper Marketing Association respectively.
Thinkbox is structured with an eight-member board responsible for the body's direction and overall strategy.
The board comprises Nick Bampton, managing director of Viacom Brand Solutions; Andy Barnes, sales director of Channel 4; Clive Crouch, sales director of GMTV; Graham Duff, managing director of ITV Sales; Mark Howe, managing director of IDS; Dee Forbes, senior vice-president of advertising sales at Turner Broadcasting; Mark White, executive director of sales at Five; and Mark Wood, commercial director of Sky Media.
They will be supported by a working group drawn from the member companies and will have a remit to develop the individual initiatives and act as a taskforce to drive specific activities.
The launch of Thinkbox next week comes as media buying agency ZenithOptimedia predicts a 12% rise in spending on television advertising in the first quarter of the year ahead of the general election, expected to take place in May.
Thinkbox's eight member companies each pay a yearly membership fee and make a contribution linked to their national revenue share.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
