William Hill to review advertising as industry faces up to new marketing landscape

William Hill is set to review its UK media planning and advertising account, according to reports from marketing news portal CampaignLive.
Vizeum UK, a firm that has served as William Hill’s lead media planning and buying agency since 2011, has reportedly been asked to repitch to the FTSE-listed bookmaker.
The review comes ahead of the ‘Code for Socially Responsible Advertising’ roll out, an initiative that was announced in December by the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG).
From July, the British betting industry has voluntarily agreed to implement a ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban on all TV betting adverts during pre-watershed live sports programming, with the exception of horse and greyhound racing.
Further restrictions see digital broadcaster SKY UK confirm that only one betting ad will be screened per ad-break, with the new ad policy implemented across its sports and entertainment networks.
In late 2018, William Hill moved to restructure its senior marketing leadership, confirming the appointment of former BAT Tobacco and Premier Foods executive Charlotte Emery to the strategically created role of Group Global Brand & Marketing Director.
William Hill becomes the first UK-listed operator to call for a media strategy review in 2019, with competitors likely to follow suit as betting leadership adjusts to new advertising realities.