About us

When the company was established in 1991, there were two principle driving forces. Firstly, the company sought to provide a forum in which users of research (advertisers, their agencies and the media) could exchange their knowledge and understanding of the key issues affecting the development of the advertising and media communities with the providers of research (research companies). Whilst there is a value in both practitioners and researchers meeting amongst themselves, asi feels there is great benefit in all parties gaining a better understanding of their respective needs and requirements.

The second principle upon which the company bases all its activities is that there may be particular benefits in taking an essentially European perspective. Not only are European countries at different stages of development in macro economic terms, they are certainly at different stages of development in advertising, marketing and media terms. This coincides with a period of very rapid technological change and we believe that the solutions to many of the problems faced in the various European markets deserve special attention as they contribute to the emergence of a distinctive ‘European’ perspective. In the field of advertising research, for example, it could be argued that the broad perspectives adopted by the UK and the USA represent the two extremes of a continuum and most European countries’ attitudes to how advertising works and how it can be made to work more effectively could be plotted along this continuum. Collectively, Europe may have a lot to offer.

asi operates in six main areas:

1. It organises a number of international advertising and media conferences over one/two/three days: most notably The European Television Symposium, The European Radio Symposium, The European Advertising Effectiveness Symposium and The European Effective Communications Symposium.
2. The company has also organised one-day seminars in specific subject areas: Audience Targeting, Advertising and Marketing in Europe, Satellite and Cable Broadcasting, Sponsorship, TV Buying and Selling, Integrated Marketing Communications and the Regulation of Advertising, Marketing and Media in Europe.
3. Co-operative conferences. Because of the company’s experience and knowledge of these areas it was chosen in 1993 by the European Commission to organise a series of seminars. These highlighted major issues and offered the opportunity for industry to consult with the Commission ahead of the Green Paper on Commercial Communications in the Internal Market.
4. asi can also mount in-house training programmes across the fields of media and marketing specialisms. These range from one day to two weeks, from 6 to 30 participants. The courses are modular and may be adapted to meet particular needs.
5. The company arranges conferences for third parties. This service can be purely administrative, although the company will provide detailed consultancy on all aspects of the event if required.
6. In association with DG Markt (Internal Market and Financial Services) of the European Commission, the company publishes a Newsletter, Commercial Communications, now in its ninth year.