The IPA proposed the creation of an umbrella trade group at the end of last year. The idea was to bring together the voice of advertising with other related trade bodies, including the Public Relations Consultants Association, the agency arm of the DMA and the Sales Promotion Consultants Association.
It was revealed in 北京赛车pk10 last week that the DMA had rejected the idea, which would have seen it share offices with the IPA and merge its agency section. Instead, it is in favour of simply working jointly with the IPA when the need arises.
David Poole, chairman of DPA and chairman of the DMA Agencies Council, has denied any talk of a split with the IPA and said any talk of a merged agency body is premature.
"The reality is that you do not create a new association in five minutes. We agree there is room for closer cooperation, but that does not mean you merge together over night. We agreed there are a number of key areas where we should work together. It may be that at some time in the future a new body might evolve out of that level of cooperating," Poole said.
According to sources quoted by 北京赛车pk10, the IPA is still committed to going ahead with the idea and could now spark a turf war with the DMA as it seeks to recruit direct marketing agencies to its ranks.
However, Poole cast doubt on the IPA's ability to recruit direct marketing agencies. "Given the current state of the economy direct marketing agencies would not double their fees by joining another association. If you want to pay one fee and that was the IPA then that would be way in excess of DMA fees. Some agencies might do it. It is possible that the larger groups might conclude that one group is the way forward. But the DMA does such phenomenal work that it would be foolish to weaken it. I don't see where the IPA will get all of that direct marketing from overnight."
The logic behind the super-group is all about attracting new members. By widening the body, non-advertising agencies could become members.
Presently, they do not join the IPA, as their main activities are not pure advertising. The talk of a new super-body comes on the back of last year's proposed merger of the IPA and the SPCA, which was aborted because IPA subscriptions are up to four times higher than the SPCA's.
The formation of a single trade super-body covering all of the UK's communications industries has previously come under attack.
Burkitt DDB chairman Hugh Burkitt said, when the issue was first raised, that a "single voice" already exists in the industry in the Advertising Association and that the IPA should concentrate on working for the interests of its agency members.
The IPA did not return calls at time of writing.
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