DTI may help bring in international business

The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) has found that the profile of the marketing services industry and of marketing departments is not as high as it should be .

The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) has found that the profile of the marketing services industry and of marketing departments is not as high as it should be.

The findings are made in a draft report on the competitiveness of the marketing services industry.

The report also calls for further consolidation of marketing trade bodies, and says multinationals should give more information about ad spends and brand values.

It concludes that the DTI could promote marketing services companies to help them gain international work through a campaign and/or sponsorship of overseas marketing exhibitions. The DTI says that reporting standards on marketing investment to analysts should be drawn up, and that small companies need to be educated on the value of their brands.

The report is thought to be the first time the DTI has looked at the entire spectrum of marketing services, including advertising, marketing, direct marketing, market research and public relations.

The report, which will not be made public, looks at the contribution marketing and advertising makes to the overall economy. It is likely to form the basis of Trade Secretary Stephen Byers’ future policy on the sector.

A DTI spokeswoman says: “The idea is to find out how this sector contributes nationally to the competitiveness of the UK economy.”