Developing effective advertising self-regulation in Australia: reflections on the old and new systems

The regulation of advertising is a controversial and difficult process. Over the past three decades, two attempts have been made in Australia to produce more acceptable ads. This paper reviews these systems using a macro framework for analysis which contextualises advertising in society. The systems have the fundamental process of handling complaints about advertising in common, however there are advantages and disadvantages of each and these are discussed. Important insights for the development of regulation of advertising are presented together with critical implications for the future of the industry.<br /

Complaint behaviour: a study of the differences between complainants about advertising in Australia and the population at large

Advertising expenditure has risen globally and in Australia there has been a 2.7-fold increase in the last ten years. It is suggested that some advertisements may be &ldquo;unacceptable&rdquo;, that is, unfair, misleading, deceptive, offensive, false or socially irresponsible. This research is concerned with consumer behaviour and consumer complaint behaviour specifically in the area of advertising in Australia. The findings indicate that complainants are significantly different from the population at large. This research will afford the regulatory bodies a better understanding of the complaining public as well as educating marketing communications strategists in effectively reaching their target markets.<br /

Opinions about advertising in Australia: a study of complainants

Advertising expenditure has risen globally and in Australia there has been a 2.7-fold rise in the last 10 years. It is suggested that some advertisements may be \u27unacceptable\u27, that is unfair, misleading, deceptive, offensive, false or socially irresponsible. Industry and regulatory responses to consumer complaints about these problems must be addressed. This research is concerned with consumer behaviour and consumer complaint behaviour specifically in the area of advertising in Australia. The general findings from the reviewed literature indicated that complainants tend to be older, have attained higher levels of educational qualifications, earn a higher gross weekly income, possess greater degrees of wealth, have higher participant levels of local community involvement and, in general terms, have more resources to avail themselves of in order to allow them to take action when dissatisfied. The results from this research engender a better understanding of the complaining public. Empirical analyses were used for determining the characteristics of people who complain to the Advertising Standards Board and inferred that their opinions regarding advertising differ from members of the general population in four key areas. This research will afford regulatory bodies a better understanding of the complaining public as well as educating marketing communications strategists in effectively reaching their target markets. <br /

Who are they? A profile of complainants about advertising in Australia

Advertising expenditure in Australia has almost doubled in the last 10 years even though some advertisements maybe \u27\u27unacceptable.&quot; We investigated consumer complaint responses specifically within the area of advertising in Australia. Our findings indicate that these complainants to be older, more highly educated and more likely to be female, than the population at large.<br /

The Australian advertising self-regulatory framework - Who`s complaining?

Complaints about advertising in Australia have been on the increase in recent years under the stewardship of the new industry self-regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Board. This study utilises clustering analyses based on geodemographic and psychographic data to present a concrete profile of complainants about advertising in Australia. The findings indicate that the advertising publics must shoulder responsibility and ensure that greater care is taken to include all members of Australian society in the current complaintsprocess and that this inclusivity will ensure that the highest possible standards are the norms of the industry.<br /

A profile of complainants about advertising in Australia: an agenda for research

Investigation of consumer complaint responses within the area of advertising in Australia stems from the suggestion that the more money spent on advertising in a country the greater the need for consumer protection from \u27unacceptable\u27 advertising. This research will allow the formulation of strategies to enable more effective marketing communications.<br /

Using accelerated, whole-of-brain learning techniques in higher education: principles and practice

Accelerated learning is an integrative method of learning, combining both sides of the brain to strengthen a student\u27s relationship with self, teacher, subject matter and other students, and so assists students to achieve deep, rather than surface, learning. While the approach has been used to teach school pupils and trainees in the corporate world, its use in marketing education in universities is limited, and there are no reports of studies focusing on its use in postgraduate coursework degrees. Thus this paper examines how accelerated learning could be used in teaching marketing at universities at the MBA level. Some techniques are synthesised from the literature that are particularly appropriate for the students and constraints of an MBA program in a university. We conclude that accelerated learning techniques can be used and are effective in a MBA program. Essentially, accelerated learning incorporate many, already known ideas but it is a useful comprehensive framework.<br /

Reach far: Criteria to improve the effectiveness of social marketing intervention strategies in the obesogenic environment

People around the world are getting fatter; in 2000, for the first time in human history, the number of overweight people in the world equalled the number of underfed, with 1.1 billion in each group. However, informed observers and researchers know that childhood obesity is the real problem to be tackled as research has shown that childhood obesity tracks with fidelity into adulthood. This paper provides a review of the obesogenic environment and presents a framework which seeks to improve the potential success of intervention strategies specifically in the obesogenic environment. A thorough discussion and analysis of the key issues is provided throughout the paper, which concludes with eight criteria to assist social marketers in developing potentially useful intervention strategies in this area

Putting the consumer first: A systematic review of the evidence of direct -to-consumer-advertising of prescription medicines

Not very long ago the advertising of prescription medicines was directed exclusively at doctors and other healthcare professionals. However, in recent times, there is increasing evidence that consumers need and seek more information concerning their health and well-being. This study focuses on DTCA by pharmaceutical companies; a practice that is polemical as it operates at the nexus of population healthcare and ‘for profit’ enterprise, and is thus still severely restricted in developed and developing nations of the world. Whilst much has been written about this topic, the consumer is not often the focus of the debate. This paper takes that perspective, presents the findings of a systematic review of the evidence and succeeds in propelling the debate to new heights

Canadian Advertising Regulation: Lessons For Australia

Abstract: Advertising is the most visible element of modern marketing and an essential component of trading. However the activity is often accused by its critics of being intrusive and pervasive, and neither of these accusations can be refuted by a worldwide industry which spends billions of dollars each year reaching and persuading its target markets through daily bombardment of thousands of ads in most developed countries. However, when advertising does offend, mislead, or is untruthful, a structure needs to be in place in order to provide protection to all parties and, in most cases, a country's legal system is complemented by a self-regulatory scheme. The advertising self-regulatory scheme in Australia was dismantled at the end of 1996 and is currently in a state of flux as the industry grapples with the design of a new system. Canada's advertising self-regulation system, on the other hand, is unique, healthy, and successful; much can be learned from both failure and success. In this article a conceptual framework of "acceptable advertising'' is presented, discussed, and used to analyze the regulation of advertising in Australia and Canada, with a view to assisting in the formation of a new scheme in Australia. Résumé: La publicité est l'élément le plus visible du marketing moderne et une composante essentielle du commerce. Cependant, les critiques de cette activité l'accusent souvent d'être importune et omniprésente. Ces deux accusations sont difficiles à réfuter, étant donné qu'une industrie mondiale dépense des milliards de dollars à chaque année pour rejoindre et persuader ses marchés cibles, au moyen d'un bombardement quotidien de milliers de pubs dans la plupart des pays développés. C'est pourquoi, lorsque la publicité est offensive, trompeuse ou mensongère, il faut qu'une structure soit en place pour protéger toutes les parties en cause; en conséquence, dans la plupart des cas, un schéma d'auto-réglementation de la publicité complète le système légal d'un pays. L'Australie a démantelé son schéma d'auto-réglementation à la fin de 1996. Le pays se trouve actuellement dans une période transitoire, l'industrie s'efforçant de concevoir un nouveau système. Le système canadien d'auto-réglementation, quant à lui, est unique, bien portant et réussi. On peut beaucoup apprendre à partir de succès et d'échecs. Cet article présente et discute une conception de "publicité acceptable", qu'il utilise pour analyser la réglementation de la publicité en Australie et au Canada. L'objectif est d'aider à la formation d'un nouveau schéma en Australie