Director General's Office
The Director General has overall responsibility for the strategic direction of the IPA as well as its day-to-day management. The role includes guiding the President on his/her agenda and is the senior point of contact for the plethora of UK and international advertising, media and marketing trade bodies e.g. the EACA.
Digital & Data
The Digital & Data Department is responsible for the management, support and development of the IPA's core business systems, including network infrastructure, telephony, audio-visual systems, AI, email, CRM, websites, and customer support for both IPA members and staff. It also plays a central role in leading the IPA’s ongoing digital transformation programme.
Finance
The Finance team looks after all aspects of financial affairs for the IPA. Its members prepare all the plans, budgets, management accounts, and financial statements for the IPA. They ensure compliance with all relevant tax and reporting regulations, and they are responsible for paying staff salaries and expenses. When they can, they assist IPA member agencies with back-office matters, such as commercial metrics, dealing with procurement, and fee structuring.
Insight
The IPA Insight Centre provides research, analysis and statistics to help agencies with their new business pitches, campaign planning, internal brainstorming and idea generation. We are a team of consumer research and industry experts with many years’ experience working directly with agencies, and are perfectly positioned to help members quickly and efficiently understand key topics and issues.
Legal
Our legal team provides practical advice to IPA members across a wide range of legal, regulatory and commercial matters affecting agency businesses. The team advises on issues such as compliance with the CAP and BCAP Advertising Codes, intellectual property and rights clearance, influencer marketing, data protection, commercial contracts, disputes and ASA investigations.
Marketing Communications
The Marcomms team combines expertise in PR, social media, content creation, creative services, digital marketing and strategic communications. We look after the IPA's visual, verbal and written communications, helping to ensure our messages are clear, consistent and engaging. Whether it's working with the media, creating content and campaigns, producing marketing collateral or advising colleagues on communications, we help connect the IPA with members, brands and the wider industry.
Marketing Strategy
The Marketing Department leads on the programme and strategic direction of the three pillars* of IPA activity around the themes of Effectiveness, Commercial and Talent; how we deliver value, how we make money and how we diversify our talent base to meet new needs. Working with industry leaders from both member agencies, partner sponsors, client marketers and associations, we are responsible for helping to prepare the climate for our member agencies to survive and thrive; addressing the business issues of the day, providing inspiration and thought leadership, networking and best practice.
Media Affairs
The Department of Media Affairs represents the media agency community within IPA membership, spearheading media agency/owner and media owner trade association relations. We participate in cross industry bodies, develop Good Practice and Standards for digital ad trading and provide media expertise in support of all other IPA departments. We also work closely with the IPA Legal Director on media-related public affairs.
Membership
Reporting to the IPA Membership Committee, the Membership Team is responsible for the recruitment and retention of the IPA’s corporate and personal members, and the application of the IPA’s rules, as set out in the Rule Book.
Production
Our production department is here to provide production and business affairs advice to agencies on topics such as copyright, insurance, engaging performers, shooting abroad, production/music/talent contracts and licences and much more. We work closely with the APA to help shape policy and best practice in production. The team is also supported by our highly knowledgeable Legal team.
Professional Development
The Professional Development Team is responsible for the promotion and delivery of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to the industry across a comprehensive learning portfolio and IPA corporate agency CPD Accreditation. This broadly includes 18 MIPA Accredited programmes, a series of one-day courses and 3 levels of IPA agency CPD Accreditation. Our aim as a team is to power our members to professionalise the industry and enable it to do better business for itself and is clients.
Public Affairs
The IPA’s Public Affairs function represents member agencies with government, Parliament and regulators, helping to shape a policy and regulatory environment in which responsible, effective advertising can thrive. Working with members and partners across the industry, we champion advertising’s contribution to economic growth, creativity and innovation, support public trust in advertising, and bring agency expertise into public policy discussions.
Research
The Research Department represents our members’ interests on the Boards and Technical Committees of all the JICs (Joint Industry Currencies). Our representation ensures that we achieve, best practice, impartial, reliable, robust and cost effective audience measurement across all media to enable confident and trusted trading and planning.
In addition we are responsible for the delivery and development of TouchPoints, the IPA’s ground breaking consumer centric, cross platform and multimedia database which was developed at the direct behest of our media agency members. TouchPoints provides context and perspective into how people conduct their daily lives and insights into their media use.
Resources Department
Our small resources team are responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and smooth running of 44 Belgrave Square. No mean feat when you consider it’s a Grade 1 listed building in one of the most famous squares of London. Our immaculate building is the first impression you get of the IPA and your second is Meena, our superb receptionist, who has a knack for making everyone feel welcome. We also manage the marketing and the hiring out of our public meeting rooms and cater for all our internal events.
