Thinkbox

Thinkbox
Formation15 February 2005; 19 years ago (2005-02-15)
PurposeMarketing of television advertising
HeadquartersLondon
Membership
Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media, UKTV
CEO
Lindsey Clay
Websitewww.thinkbox.tv

Thinkbox is the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK. Its shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media and UKTV. Together Thinkbox's shareholders represent over 99% of commercial TV advertising revenue through their owned and partner TV channels. Thinkbox's Associate Members are Disney, TAM Ireland, Think TV (Australia), thinktv (Canada), TVN Media (Poland), TV Globo (Brazil), Tenk TV (Norway), DSTv (South Africa), and Virgin Media. Discovery Networks UK & Ireland and STV also give direct financial support.

Thinkbox was launched in February 2005 with a consortium consisting of eight companies, and was initially run as a virtual organisation. In 2006 the group changed direction, hiring Tess Alps as the CEO and undergoing significant internal changes, including the loss of one of the original eight companies involved in creating the organisation.

After Lindsey Clay became Thinkbox's CEO in 2013, Tess Alps became Thinkbox Chair.[1] Alps retired from Thinkbox at the end of 2020.[2]

Thinkbox's activities include supporting research into aspects of marketing using television, supporting various television and advertising marketing awards (including their regular creativity awards, The Thinkboxes, and the IPA Effectiveness Awards), running a series of events and training programs, and providing information to marketers about television advertising.

Thinkbox has won a number of industry awards for its research and marketing initiatives.  Thinkbox was named Media360’s Industry Body of the Decade [3] and its TV advertising, particularly that featuring ‘Harvey’ the dog, has won many awards.  Thinkbox’s most recent TV ad – ‘Tooth Fairy’ – can be seen on screens currently and is the sixth TV ad campaign from Thinkbox.[4]

Thinkbox is a member of The Global TV Group, the informal grouping of TV broadcasters, sales houses, and trade bodies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin America. The Global TV Group is a forum for sharing knowledge, exchanging best practice and collating global TV intelligence

  1. ^ "Thinkbox promotes Lindsey Clay to CEO as Tess Alps becomes non-executive chairperson". The Drum. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Tess Alps to leave Thinkbox after 14 years". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  3. ^ "MEDIA360: Thinkbox honoured at Decade of Achievement Awards". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  4. ^ Vizard, Sarah (11 December 2019). "Thinkbox aims to show business impact of TV ads in Tooth Fairy campaign". Marketing Week. Retrieved 11 January 2021.