Britain: An official handbook > 1977

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Advertising
Public Relations
BRITAIN 1977: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
£1,115 million a year), one of the fastest growing sectors being paper sacks
(£78 million in 1975). Other important materials are tinplate, plastics and glass.
New uses are being found for tinplate, especially in sales of soft drinks and
beer. The use of plastics continues to develop; annual sales of polyethylene
film and film products amount to 91,992 tonnes and 120,290 tonnes respectively,
while the annual sales of low-density polyethylene bottles has risen to about
617 million, providing further competition for the traditional glass bottle.
About £967 million is estimated to have been spent on all forms of advertising
in 1975; RS a proportion of the gross national product (1 ’04 per cent) and of con¬
sumer expenditure (1-5 per cent), it is the lowest since 1956. About £649
million was spent on display advertising and £318 million on classified,
financial and industrial advertising. Most of the advertising is carried out by
agencies, which, in some cases, also provide marketing, consumer research and
other services; their representative organisation is the Institute of Practitioners
in Advertising. The trade association for the whole industry, including agencies,
advertisers and media owners, is the Advertising Association. It was responsible
for the setting up of the Advertising Standards Authority, an independent body
whose objective is the promotion and enforcement of the highest standards of
advertising, in particular through the British Code of Advertising Practice.
Industry and commerce pay great attention to improving public understanding
of their work and objectives. Many have their own public relations advisers and
staff, while consultancy firms provide general services and assistance for special
public relations activities. The Institute of Public Relations, founded in i94^>
has some 3,000 members in commerce, industry, the professions, national
associations, and central and local government.