Dubit founder takes on key role on youth advertising sector panel

Ian Douthwaite will help the panel provide industry leadership on the way in which advertising and marketing communications engage with children and young people.

Its first task will be to tackle concerns about sexual imagery on billboards, the use of brand ambassadors and peer-to-peer techniques and improving industry understanding of parental concerns.

Mr Douthwaite said: “The digital age presents new challenges for the marketing industry and rightly places greater responsibility on the shoulders of those communicating with children.

“As ethical marketers we must ensure that we meet these challenges and face the responsibilities. I’m looking forward to continuing Dubit’s work with the Advertising Association and advancing ethical practices.”

The panel will comprise of a small number of senior practitioners drawn from relevant companies across advertisers, social media, mobile, internet, youth marketing agencies and the internet.

Advice will also be sought from independent academics and children’s and parenting groups.

Leeds-based Dubit was founded in 1999. It incorporates three divisions, working across youth research and marketing, as well as the development of virtual worlds and social games.

Clients include Cartoon Network, Nintendo, Kellogg’s, NSPCC and the BBC.