The event, which also played host to the APA's annual awards, kicked off with a keynote speech by Rory Sutherland, vice president of Ogilvy and IPA president. According to Sutherland, a failure by marketers to look beyond brand preference has meant that context in advertising is only now emerging. However, as marketers pay more attention to the role context plays in decision-making, we will see content – where advertisers can control context – grow to dominate advertising.

Phil Stokes, EMEA leader, entertainment and media, at PwC UK, also provided food for thought. He warned that, while previous downturns had seen media grow faster than GDP – with consumers spending proportionally more of their income on feel-good items – this time PwC UK expected overall growth rates to be depressed. This is compounded by the fact that consumers don’t expect to pay for content. While changing this could help reverse the trend, organisations would still have to agree who’ll foot the bill. 

The summit also unveiled the results of the APA’s latest research, on the effect of content on brand relationships. Examining the cross-media effectiveness of content, it reveals that, despite digital’s popularity, print is often dominant when it comes to consumer engagement. Print and digital content also have very different characteristics and serve the needs of consumers in different ways with content providers having to use a cross-channel strategy to harness the value of both.

The summit ended with the APA awards. Celebrating the year’s finest examples of branded editorial content, 2010 saw a record number of entries as well as an increased international presence.

Among the 26 winners, Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward’s Completely London, by August Media, took the Grand Prix. Others include Cath Kidston by Publicis Blueprint, which won Best Catalogue, and Tesco Baby & Toddler Club by Forward, which won Best Consumer Publication (Membership).