Best practice
The Advertising Standards Bureau complies absolutely with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) Best Practice principles.
These Principles form part of the EASA Best Practice model which was designed for member countries to use when establishing, maintaining and evaluating effective and efficient systems of advertising self regulation.
The model is also invaluable when members wish to identify areas within their self regulatory system for enhancement or improvement.
EASA best practice principles:
- The consumer should benefit from the self-regulatory system and should be the focus of attention.
- Self regulation must be, and be seen to be impartial and independent of government, specific interests and interest groups.
- The self-regulatory system must be transparent and accessible.
- Self regulation must be effective, rapid, flexible, current and applied in a non-bureaucratic manner.
- Self-regulatory rules and procedures should be applied in both the spirit and the letter and should be regularly reviewed.
- Consumer complaints should be handled free of charge.
- A self-regulatory system must have adequate sanctions which can be enforced.
- Self regulation must always be in compliance with the law.
- Self-regulatory systems must be sufficiently resourced and supported to be able to meet their objectives.
ASB best practice accomplishments
At a meeting of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) in 2008, the ASB scored 100 per cent compliance with the WFA’s gold standard for advertising and marketing communications in self regulation. Australia’s self regulation system met what the WFA has declared to be the 10 essential criteria for gold standard status.
In the same year, ASB conducted research into the views of the community to ensure that the decisions of the Board stay in harmony with community standards on matters outlined in the Codes administered by the ASB. Consultation with international counterparts indicated that this was a world-first – none to that date had tested their Board’s decisions against the views of their community. Subsequently, ASB has commissioned research into Board congruence with community standards in violence and sex, sexuality and nudity and will continue this research into the future.
As part of its ongoing commitment to international best practice in advertising self regulation, ASB researched and analysed EASA and other international approaches to appeals and review. From this information, ASB developed and implemented an independent review process in 2008.