Pete Markey, ISBA President’s Lunch Speech July 2025
So, it’s the big 125!
I am incredibly honoured to be serving as ISBA President as we reach this significant milestone.
ISBA’s story is in many ways the history of UK advertising, set against the backdrop of the dramatic evolution of the media landscape.
It is intrinsically linked to the story of technology. Spanning an era that has witnessed tech advancements that have disrupted not just the world of advertising but human culture and behaviour.
It’s also a story with a message. At its core is the belief that if things aren’t right or fair we should challenge them. We should take responsibility to make things better. This is often hard to do alone, bringing together voices that echo yours is often required to bring about necessary change.
It’s an ethos that really resonates with me personally and professionally. Challenging the status quo is daunting on your own.
Those of you who were here last year will remember how I told the story of how in 1900, seven plucky advertisers formed the Advertisers Protection Society which was later renamed the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers or ISBA. As a shameless Marvel fan I compared them to the Avengers.
I imagined a group of fearless superheroes with waxed moustaches and stiff collars who sold ground breaking products such as floor cleaner and ink pens you could use on horseback.
They tackled the newspaper barons who were taking their money in return for advertising space but were unwilling to share the number of newspapers they actually sold. The action of these seven businessmen, paved the way for audited media measurement in the UK.
Of course you are all aware of the phrase ‘not all super heroes wear capes and before I go any further I want to take the time to talk about a certain superhero who can often be found not wearing a cape, indeed, not wearing very much at all as he takes his morning dip in the Serpentine.
At the end of last year, Phil Smith announced he would be stepping down as Director General of ISBA.
Phil joined ISBA in 2017, and was given the mandate by ISBA’s Council of senior marketers to take their trade body and ensure it was fit for the future.
Marketers were and still are, operating in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world and needed a trade body with teeth, one that would tackle issues head on, advocate on their behalf with government and regulators, address their concerns and take on problems that others had deemed impossible to solve.
Over the last eight years Phil has achieved everything he was asked to do and so much more.
Two months into his tenure, the Times broke the story ‘Brands supporting terror’ it named a number of well-loved UK brands whose ads were appearing and apparently monetising content from terrorist organisations.
The actions ISBA and its members then took has been a driving force behind the government’s action on online safety, the ongoing reform of programmatic advertising and a new relationship between the platforms and advertisers that puts transparency at the forefront.
Most recently Phil took on the challenge of raising the profile of accessible advertising. Working with ISBA’s sister organisation, UDM in France and a group of committed stakeholders, the Ad Accessibility Network has committed to working with the industry to make all ads accessible to all.
Phil also took on the biggest task of all, the ask from members to deliver the holy grail of true cross media measurement. His subsequent commitment to Origin has been unwavering. As it moves into expanded availability and Phil takes on the role of Origin Chair I am confident it will continue to reach major milestones and become an essential platform for marketers and their media agencies.
When you consider the enormous challenges Phil has tackled, is it any wonder that he was awarded an OBE in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours for his services to the advertising and marketing industry?
Thank you Phil for your tireless commitment to ISBA, to its members and to the wider advertising industry. You have truly made a difference.
So back to ISBA in 1900, it was a period which saw the advent of the self-made man. The gap between the upper and working class was being filled with the emerging middle class.
A sector of society who had not been born into money but who were making a respectable living as businessmen, inventors, salesmen and entrepreneurs.
Which brings me to the ever popular subject of lino. Bear with me on this one.
Until the late 1800s, tiles, wood, parquet, woven carpets and floorcloth were the most likely options for domestic flooring until the invention of linoleum by Mancunian Frederick Walton.
It quickly became the floor covering of choice for British households but with popularity came a new challenge, how could it be cleaned?
William Catesby one of ISBA’s founders had the answer, he invented a Lino Polish and like any astute marketer he identified the best channel to promote his product. Newspapers..
It offered mass reach and frequency, a way to talk to everyone from the upper class to the man on the street.
He had a product people needed and had a medium where he could promote it to his potential customers.
He had nailed one of the fundamentals of good marketing. As marketers we just need to keep that in mind and surely instant success awaits?
As we all know, it’s never been and will never be that simple. As Catesby realised when he couldn’t get access to the right data to assess the effectiveness of what he was spending on newspaper advertising.
In fact what lay ahead for those seven founders and ISBA’s early members would make everything even more complex in ways they could not have foreseen.
At this time in history Britain was fighting the second Boer War. It was an unsettling time but what was to come in the form of two world wars and the collapse of the British Empire would destabilise the entire country and have a profound impact on politics, society, the economy and the very infrastructure of Britain.
The media landscape was about to be transformed, the next 75 years saw the advent of radio, cinema and TV advertising. Advertising regulation was brought in to ensure the public were being given accurate and truthful information and there were restrictions on where and when advertising could appear.
While the ISBA members of those early days could not predict the future, what they did realise was that whatever challenges lay ahead, working together and having a united voice increased their ability to navigate change.
Today we face the same uncertain future, in an even more complex media landscape with technological advances that have tremendous potential, still yet to be realised and fully understood.
As always with threats, come opportunities. As marketers we can grow our businesses in a way that is sustainable. We can identify emerging technologies and new marketing channels early on and ensure we are leading and not being led on how we use them in the future.
The fundamentals of marketing will always remain the same but the way we operate will constantly evolve and present new challenges. We don’t know for sure what lies ahead but like those seven plucky advertisers in 1900 I am sure of one thing. Having a collective voice through ISBA, to represent us and advocate on our behalf is more important today than ever.
There is no better way for me to illustrate this than through the examples set by some of the brilliant ISBA members who have consistently added their collective voice in support of ISBA’s priorities to the benefit of the entire industry.
At the lunch last year, my predecessor Marg Jobling launched the ISBA President’s Awards and five wonderful members were chosen as recipients. This year I am delighted that I am now be able to announce this year’s winners and give them the recognition they deserve.
Amy Nicklin, Senior Brand Manager, P&G
Amy is a passionate and vocal advocate for accessible advertising within P&G and the wider industry. Amy has been a committed member of the Ad Accessibility Network and has been a catalyst for real change.
Anneli Ritari-Stewart, Head of Digital Marketing, Royal London
Gen AI is one of the hot topics for all our members. As a nascent technology, the expertise of those who are already incorporating it into their marketing activity is in high demand. Anneli has given her time and experience on many occasions to help other members understand the potential of Gen AI as well as the importance of responsible adoption.
Becca-Jane Schofield formerly of Smart Energy GB and Osasere Aimiuwu, Brand Manager, Carlsberg Britvic
ISBA’s Advisory Council was created in the summer of 2021 to provide a voice for underrepresented groups within our Council and ExCom.
Both Becca-Jane and Sase have been members of the Advisory Council since its inception and were appointed the first co-chairs. Since then they have sat on the ISBA Executive Committee and provided valuable contributions to ISBA’s priorities as well as ensuring their network of ISBA members feels involved and valued.
Georgina Bramall, Marketing Strategy Director, giffgaff and Lisa Boyles, Head of Go to Market & Media, giffgaff
As Co-Chairs of ISBA’s Sustainability Forum, Georgina and Lisa have embodied giffgaff’s ‘responsible reach’ approach to media. They have helped ISBA members navigate regulation, deliver best practice, and become informed on an area critical to trust, effectiveness and the future of the planet.
Matt Thomas, Senior Director Brand & Media, P&G Northern Europe.
As well as being a member of ISBA’s Executive Committee, Matt has been a true advocate for Origin. He consistently offers his time to share his experience as a senior media leader with fellow members. He is always willing to act as a spokesperson on the need for and benefits of Origin. His honest and constructive feedback has been invaluable.
Nicky Mennell, Global Strategic Sourcing Manager Media, Mars
Despite her very busy job at Mars, Nicky is always willing to contribute her support to ISBA projects that will benefit all members. From her considered feedback on ISBA’s media and creative agency frameworks to her enthusiasm for industry wide initiatives such as All In, Nicky is an incredible asset to ISBA’s procurement network.
As ISBA enters its next chapter, with Simon Michaelides at its helm I am more convinced than ever that being part of its future is vital.