May 2025 - The Software Bureau

A £66.6bn Vote of Confidence: Why Advertising Is the Engine of the UK Economy (and What Keeps It Running Smoothly)

Client Area, Cygnus, Data Hygiene, Industry

A £66.6bn Vote of Confidence: Why Advertising Is the Engine of the UK Economy (and What Keeps It Running Smoothly)

By Martin|2025-05-21T11:38:58+00:00May 21st, 2025|

The UK’s advertising and marketing industry has just delivered a resounding message of economic strength. According to Advertising Pays 2025, a landmark report from think tank Credos, British businesses invested a record £66.6 billion into the sector in 2024. A Critical Economic Contributor The sector contributed £109 billion in gross added value (GVA), representing 4% of the entire UK economy. It supported over 1.7 million jobs and reached into nearly two-thirds of all UK businesses. In fact, 3.5 million companies—across every industry—depended on media spend, data support, agency expertise, or marketing professionals to help them grow. For every £1 spent, medium to large businesses saw £4.11 in profit. Meanwhile, micro and small businesses saw a healthy ROI of £1.89. A [...]

What’s Going on with the Data (Use and Access) Bill?

By Martin|2025-05-14T11:02:06+00:00May 14th, 2025|

On 14th May 2025, the UK’s Data (Use and Access) Bill reached a critical stage in Parliament, following heated debate over its implications for AI, copyright, and how data is shared. While the headlines have focused on creative rights and artificial intelligence, there’s a bigger picture emerging — one that matters to anyone involved in managing, using, or maintaining quality data. Originally introduced in late 2024, the bill aims to improve how data is accessed and used across the public and private sectors. It supports initiatives like digital ID systems and encourages wider data sharing to unlock innovation. But as it moves between the House of Commons and the Lords, disagreement over specific provisions — particularly a new transparency requirement [...]

Why the Campaign for Better Data Matters — and Why Data Hygiene is the Foundation

By Martin|2025-05-07T09:21:22+00:00May 7th, 2025|

At The Software Bureau, we welcome the Market Research Society’s Campaign for Better Data. While it may sit adjacent to our core area of data processing, we believe the campaign’s central theme — building trust and credibility in data — is critical across every part of the marketing and insight ecosystem. With the UK Government positioning the nation as a leader in AI, the spotlight is rightly falling on the quality of the data feeding these tools. As recent studies have shown, there’s a growing gulf between organisations’ AI ambitions and the reality of their data capabilities. Misinformation, survey fraud, and outdated practices threaten to undermine not only AI, but also the credibility of every campaign or insight generated from [...]