Tributes to Fletcher, saviour of MPS

The direct marketing industry has paid tribute to Winston Fletcher, the man credited with ensuring the future funding of the Mailing Preference Service as well as wider advertising self-regulation in the UK, who died of a heart attack last week, aged 75.
Having secured a scholarship to Christ’s Hospital school in the late Forties, Fletcher studied philosophy at Cambridge. By the late Fifties, he had joined ad agency Robert Sharp & Partners, and later admitted: “I drifted into advertising fortuitously and have since rather enjoyed myself hoofing it.”
In 1974 he co-founded Fletcher Shelton Delaney Beecham, which was bought by Bates in 1980. He then co-founded Delaney Fletcher Delaney, which went on to become Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners (now DLKW Lowe). Fletcher received the CBE in 2010, for services to the creative industries.
But it is his work for the Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Asbof) – of which he was chairman for many years – where he rubbed shoulders with the direct marketing industry.
Back in 2008, there were serious concerns that the onset of competition in the postal market could wreak havoc with MPS funding, as Royal Mail – the principal funder – began losing market-share to the new private operators.
At the time, Asbof board member Charles Ping warned the scheme could be ‘buggered’ unless more client companies and private postal firms started paying the levy. And it was Fletcher who was instrumental in getting TNT Post to sign up.
Ping concedes that Fletcher’s name is not at the front of every direct marketers mind, but “we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Winston was one of the most influential admen to come out of the Sixties and leaves a legacy spanning all areas of our industry”.
He added: “It was in his role as educator and protector of the broader industry that the direct marketing world should remember him. At Asbof, Winston’s experience and intellect was drawn together to support the architecture of self-regulation. He was, as you’d expect of a man born of the industry, an important defender of both advertising and direct marketing.”
DMA executive director Chris Combemale said: “Winston was a passionate advocate for industry self-regulation and fought tirelessly through Asbof to secure the funding required to support key bodies such the ASA and CAP.
“He was a strong supporter of modern direct marketing working closely with the DMA for many years to advocate best practice in new and emerging data channels. He will be missed.”
Former IPA president Hamish Pringle also paid tribute to Fletcher’s time at Asbof. He said: “Winston left us a great legacy in his many books and articles, but he will be most remembered for his achievements which secured and future-proofed UK self and co-regulation, and thus the freedom of responsible commercial freedom of speech.”
Pringle added: “Among the many remarkable things about Winston was his ability to speak at length and most entertainingly without notes. I once heard him give a 40-minute speech to an IPA Finance Conference of a discursive and erudite nature.
“He used to tease Mark Lund when he first worked for him and, provoked by this, Mark was determined to emulate his boss. Ever since then, Mark has had the impressive ability to deliver excellent speeches without recourse to prompt cards or notes. A great talent and one that hasn’t done Mark any harm, what with DLKW, AA chairmanship, COI, and agency Now already to his credit.”
Ping concluded: “Winston was also an excellent lunch companion. As wise counsel, he could always be relied upon to give an alternative and frank assessment of the situation. He’ll be sorely missed by his family, his wide circle of friends and the industry around him.”