Advertising Day on the Hill
Advertising Day on the Hill is an important event designed to dramatically demonstrate to lawmakers the power and passion of the advertising industry’s grassroots network—the members of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). The organization was established in 1905 and includes nearly 35,000 professionals in this industry.
Now, you might be asking yourself: “Why? This is advertising – what do you even need to advocate to lawmakers about?” To answer the “why,” it’s because advertising has a bigger economic impact across the country than most people realize. The “what” currently covers two important topics: advocating against taxes on advertising services and supporting a nationwide data privacy law.
Advertising spurs continuous economic growth
Chernoff Newman’s client list is global, but a large percentage of our clients are based in the States and Districts we hold offices: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and now, Washington, D.C. And we participated in Day on the Hill, ultimately, not only to advocate for our industry but to advocate for our clients’ businesses. Here’s an overview of the impact advertising makes within these four areas:
- Florida: Over $359 Billion in economic activity and over 6 million jobs supported.
- North Carolina: Over $183 Billion in economic activity and over 830,000 jobs supported.
- South Carolina: Over $74 Billion in economic activity and over 370,000 jobs supported.
- Washington, D.C.: Over $61 Billion in economic activity and over 150,000 million jobs supported.
There would be significant impact of taxing these advertising services on businesses in our country, which is why the AAF strongly advocates against it. And for years, we’ve been on the defense when speaking to lawmakers about taxes, but more recently – we’ve been on the offense advocating for privacy standards.
Developing a data privacy standard for U.S. businesses and consumers
As data privacy laws have become a frontline issue, some states have already implemented state-level privacy laws, such as the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). And while we strongly support data privacy laws, we want to advocate for one law that’s nationwide and avoid state-by-state laws which put a patchwork on data privacy standards for businesses and consumers.
As a resident of South Carolina, I was honored to meet with staff from Senator Tim Scott’s and Congressman Jim Clyburn’s offices as well as personally meet with Congressman Joe Wilson.
The opportunity to meet face-to-face with lawmakers was especially impactful since this event marked our first in-person Day on the Hill since 2019.
Danielle Salley and Jeff Lawler meet with Xavier Underwood at Senator Tim Scott’s office
Schedule and map for Advertising Day on the Hill
Photograph and letter sent to Danielle Salley from Congressman Joe Wilson
So the next time you see a TV spot come on or you scroll through your social feed and see a paid video or you turn on your favorite podcast and get a sales pitch, think about the economic impact it’s making on your state. Ultimately, advertising means business.
Author’s Note: I would like to personally thank the staff of the AAF (especially Clark Rector) as well as the staff of Senator Tim Scott, Congressman Jim Clyburn and Congressman Joe Wilson for meeting with me and our South Carolina members. To Congressman Joe Wilson, thank you for taking time at the end of your day to personally meet with us and support the AAF.
