ANA Unveils Comprehensive Ethics Framework

To promote a common set of rigorous standards for ethical marketing, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) today unveiled a comprehensive marketing ethics framework, the ANA’s 'Ethics Code of Marketing Best Practices.' This broad ethical framework and resource guide brings together existing ANA guidelines with a range of best practice recommendations to inform and protect consumers across emerging and important areas, including artificial intelligence (AI), privacy, advertising to children, and diversity and inclusion.

For example, the Ethics Code includes the ANA’s first guidelines around the ethical use of AI in marketing. To ensure that AI technologies are deployed responsibly and ethically by marketers, the Ethics Code outlines a range of best practices, including the standard that marketers be transparent about their use of AI in their campaigns.  

“Ethical marketing practices leads to better business results by building trust between brands and consumers,” said Bob Liodice, CEO, ANA. “ANA’s comprehensive ethical framework elevates brand marketing and strengthens the bond between brands and consumers across standard marketing channels and those influenced by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.”

The ANA Ethics Code includes new and consolidated standards across seven broad areas of ethical responsibility. Those areas include:

• Part 1 - Advertising Claims and Offers
• Part 2 – Accessibility, Older Adults and Children (Audiences)
• Part 3 – Diversity and Inclusion
• Part 4 – Data Privacy, Security and Stewardship
• Part 5 – Regulated Products and Services
• Part 6 – Digital Innovation (Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Automated Processing)
• Part 7 - General Principles

The Ethics Code was designed by industry leaders and further strengthened through ANA membership input. The ANA Marketing Ethics Code Steering Committee met over a six-month period, between May and December 2023, to help shape generally accepted principles of conduct for all media. The Ethics Code was then released for member input prior to publication. It will be regularly reviewed and amended to address changing technologies, marketing practices, and legal requirements.

“Thanks to this framework, ANA members now have a one-stop resource to ensure they set and uphold industry best practices around ethical marketing,” said Christopher Oswald, ANA’s EVP for law, ethics and government relations of the Washington Office which includes the Centre for Ethical Marketing. “It is important for the industry to have this guide to best practices, which complements existing legal requirements and industry self-regulatory programs with new proactive steps that all companies should take.”

To educate members, ANA plans to roll out training modules, roundtable discussions, committee meetings, and white papers over coming months.

Recognising the need for reinforcement of existing high ethical standards, the Centre recently created a Marketing Ethics Code Steering Committee. This group of top thought leaders will review and address new and emerging ethics issues, legal standards, and industry self-regulatory programs to ensure the Ethics Code remains current and effective. 

“The ANA Ethics Code reflects the advertising and marketing industry’s long-standing policy of providing ethics-based data and marketing stewardship that enables fairness and trust and builds on decades of development by seasoned marketers, advertisers, fundraisers, and solution providers,” said Senny Boone, SVP, centre for ethical marketing, ANA. “It represents the baseline that marketers and advertisers can utilise to bridge the gap between their work and a consumer’s expectations of the industry.”

Members of the ANA are invited to read the Code and send in any comments or inquiries to ethics@ana.net. The Code will be used for consumer inquiries and self-regulation by the Centre for Ethical Marketing by December 1st, 2024. Training materials will be produced and publicised by the Centre for Ethical Marketing and promoted to members of the ANA.

The new Code can be accessed here.