| Welcome to The Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) newsletter for October 2024. Here's what we're covering in this month's newsletter: This month was also ADHD Awareness Month, and we saw the launch of the Neurodiversity in Media initiative. As we look towards November, we will be marking Transgender Awareness Week and Islamophobia Awareness Month, as well as other diversity and inclusion events. Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion is important year-round, as we outline in our Diversity manifesto; however, inclusion events and awareness days are great opportunities to celebrate and support. Check out the Inclusive Employers Diversity and Inclusion Calendar to stay up to date on upcoming events.
If you've got news related to CAN and our manifestos, please do get in touch with us at hello@consciousadnetwork.org. #TogetherWeCAN | | | CAN at Climate Week NYC and UN Healthy Incentives Panel | |  | | CAN Co-Founder Jake Dubbins on a panel with Charlotte Scadden, Clare Atkin, and Rupen Desai. | | | At the end of September, CAN Co-Founder Jake Dubbins attended Climate Week NYC. Hosted by Climate Group, Climate Week NYC is an annual event to help speed up climate change action and champion change that has already been made. It brings together business leaders, political change makers, and civil society representatives from all over the world through a series of 600 events and activities across the city.
Whilst in New York, Jake also took part in a Healthy Incentives panel with Charlotte Scadden, (head of Information Integrity at the UN). Also joining the panel was Clare Atkin (Check My Ads) and Rupen Desai (CMO Una Terra and Co-founder, The Shed 28). They discussed the need for more transparency from ad-tech companies to help businesses have more control in making decisions on where their ads are placed. The panel was based around the UN's Global Principles for Information Integrity.
Jake stressed that advertisers need facts and transparency to be able to make decisions based on their own values and business objectives. During the discussion he stated: "People can say what they like, but they don't have a right to automatically monetise what they say, and they don't have a right to automatically have advertising revenue to drive their bank balance."
Clare Atkin raised the growing issue of advertisers no longer having control over their own ad-spend and that they need more control over the supply chain. Clare urged that: "We are in an information disorder crisis, we cannot fix anything else until we fix this." | | | New Report
Agents of change: The expert view - IPA | | | CAN's Co-Founder Jake Dubbins has recently taken part in the IPA's report, Agents of Change. The report gives insight from advertising industry specialists and activists, covering their experiences and hopes for the future for sustainable advertising.
One of the concerns raised in the report is the misalignment of incentives that take the focus away from sustainability. On this matter, Jake has said: "There is a fundamental disconnect in what boards are saying to shareholders about growth, profitability and maintaining dividends, and what sustainability experts are saying to them. A conflict between short-term quarterly business results and market-based capitalism, and the long-term planning needed, not to get out of this mess but just to mitigate it."
There seems to be a general consensus amongst the interviewees that more industry collaboration and consistency are required to work towards a sustainable future effectively. Jake commented: "A pivot needs to happen, and will have to be long term, and it has to be collaborative. I think the industry has got to come together and decide how we are going to further the interests of a low-carbon economy – to grow products and services that are driving down category emissions at the expense of high-carbon alternatives."
Along with the report, the IPA have put together a toolkit which includes a set of KPIs to help encourage consistency and collaboration across the industry. | | | The CAN team are thrilled to welcome our latest member, Bulla Co, a creative agency that offers services at every stage of the marketing funnel. With a focus on data-driven insights and impactful results, Bulla Co is committed to conscious creativity, conscious influencing, and conscious investment, leveraging inclusive audience insights to drive commercial success.
Joshua Roche, Founder & CEO of Bulla Co, said:
"We are thrilled to join the Conscious Advertising Network, aligning with an organisation that shares our commitment to ethical and responsible advertising. At Bulla Co, we believe in using the power of creativity and data to drive not just results, but positive change. By partnering with CAN, we're reinforcing our dedication to creating campaigns that are socially conscious, transparent, and respectful of both consumers and the wider community." | | | The Responsible Advertising Summit | | | The Responsible Advertising Summit 2024, for which CAN is a media partner, is taking place at the start of December. The summit is Europe's first forum dedicated to elevating standards in sustainable, inclusive & accessible marketing, media and advertising.
Happening on December 3rd and 4th, the event will bring together senior leaders from across industries to address the growing demand for sustainability, inclusivity, and accessibility in the advertising landscape.
CAN's own Co-Founder Harriet Kingaby will be speaking at the event, and attendees will have the opportunity to hear from industry leaders from giffgaff (CAN member), Boots, P&G, Sky Bet, Tony's Chocolonely, ITV, HSBC, Sanofi, Reckitt, Diageo and more. Download the official event agenda here. | | | In the run up to the summit, CAN together with the Responsible Marketing Agency has co-created a report on "Building the Business Case for Responsible Advertising & Marketing". The report explores the latest on ethical advertising practices, the role of AI and personalisation, diversity and inclusion, regulatory challenges, and strategies for sustainable marketing. It's a chance to read up on how to navigate the evolving landscape of responsible advertising to foster consumer trust and drive business growth. | | Have you always wanted to attend Cannes Lions?
 Applications are open for the Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Programme, an initiative created by LIONS aimed at fostering a diverse and inclusive representation of talent within the creative industry at Cannes Lions. For 2025 they have allocated €2m worth of complimentary Festival passes, with a focus on the Global South.
The ERA Programme is available to any organisation, community or individual that promotes diversity and inclusion within the creative industry. Priority will be given to:
- registered charities
- not-for-profit organisations
- diverse-owned businesses | | | | What We Are Reading
On YouTube, Major Brands' Ads Appear Alongside Racist Falsehoods About Haitian Immigrants - The New York Times | | | The New York Times has reported that large organisations and brands are finding their advertisements appearing alongside videos that are amplifying inflammatory narratives and misinformation. In the article, CAN Co-Founder Harriet Kingaby shares her thoughts.
They report that whilst advertisers try to avoid sharing space with content that is polarising or fuels hate speech and misinformation, the platforms are not doing enough to combat the issue. On YouTube, ads for Mazda and Adobe appeared before troubling and racist videos that suggested Haitian migrants were "eating ducks on the side of the road" and "people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country."
This month, researchers discovered dozens of large organisations and brands had adverts on YouTube that were monetising xenophobic claims. It has also been reported that companies that use digital advertising platforms are ten times more likely to appear on misinformation websites.
This poses financial risk to brands and advertisers, who are now trying to gain more control over where their ads are placed. On this subject, Harriet Kingaby said:
"Frankly, brands are promised a lot of things by the platforms — that platforms are using technology and human content moderators at scale to make sure this doesn't happen," "There is a real sense that things aren't working. The trust has been broken." "Brands really do want to get it right in terms of appearing in places that are not just safe, but suitable, but at the moment, it is a very, very, very difficult space to navigate." | | | Running from 1st-31st October, this year's Black History Month celebrated the theme 'Reclaiming Narratives', which aimed to encourage members of the Black community to tell their stories and share their experiences.
On discussing this year's theme, Black History Month UK said:
"This year's Black History Month theme, "Reclaiming Narratives," marks a significant shift towards recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture. By emphasising this theme, we shine a brighter light on stories, allegories, and histories that underscore our commitment to correcting historical inaccuracies and showcasing the untold success stories and the full complexity of Black heritage." | | | To celebrate Black History Month, CAN member The Digital Voice launched a new video series, Reclamation Conversations, where Marketing & Social Director, Camealia Xavier-Chihota, delves into the themes of personal legacy and responsibility in shaping better representation and equity in the industry. The series covers topics such as empowerment, ensuring your voice in heard, celebrating heritage and controlling your narrative.
Coinciding with Black History Month, GenB TV launched three immersive exhibitions at OUTERNET London. Featuring works from Sam Sheridan, Farouk Alo, and Young Creators UK, the exhibitions celebrate past and present Black British innovation and talent across the entertainment, science, and art industries.
On the exhibition and their mission as a media channel, GenB TV has said: "The channel continues to support emerging Black British talent while providing a global platform for diverse stories that resonate with the Black experience." | | | What We Are Reading
Nike and Sky ads banned over misleading 'dark patterns' - Marketing Beat | | | In this recent article from Marketing Beat with insights from CAN Co-Founder Harriet Kingaby, we hear how big brands like Nike and Sky are being held accountable by the Advertising Standards Association (ASA) for misleading ads. It reveals a reoccurring trend of 'dark pattern techniques' where consumers are making uninformed purchases.
In the case of Sky, the ASA ruled that it was not clear on their Now TV advertisement that a free trial would automatically continue onto a subscription. In Nike's case, an ad was considered misleading by the ASA because the caption in the ad did not stipulate that the shoes on offer were for children and came in limited sizing.
Whilst both brands responded that they believed that their advertising was clear and not intentionally misleading, these cases remind us of how important it is to be completely transparent in all forms of advertising. In the article, Harriet states on the advertising sector:
"The sector has got into a headspace of not really thinking of consumers as human beings, and thinking of people as to be profiled or targeted but not respected".
"This isn't just harmful for consumers, it's harmful for the level of trust in our industry. When consumers don't trust us it renders our advertising less effective." | | | What We Are Reading
Marketers are stepping up to the climate challenge – but there is more to do - Marketing Week | | | In this article from Marketing Week, Lisa Boyle and Georgina Bramall from CAN member organisation, giffgaff, discuss the need for advertisers to not only encourage consumers to be more sustainable, but for us to commit to sustainability within our organisations. Promising improvements have been made in the industry but more needs to be done, and quickly.
Giffgaff have made significant changes in-house as a commitment to Net Zero, such as developing a sustainable media planning approach. This approach covers four key elements – reduce, renew, refine, and review to reduce their media carbonisation.
Lisa and Georgina state how important it is in today's climate to earn their consumers' trust through meaningful action and transparency:
"To earn that trust, we believe that we all need to set out our Net Zero transition plans (which ever more companies are doing). It's critical that we all speak honestly, and place our efforts in a proper context; part of this is ensuring that our ad campaigns and messages are aligned with our carbon reduction plans, backed up with SBTIs."
They also reveal in the article how they are now the new co-chairs for the ISBA's Sustainability Forum. Well done to them both and the giffgaff team. | | | What We Are Reading
4 steps to tackle money laundering in online advertising - The Media Leader | | | In this article, CAN supporter member and CEO of The Digital Voice Julia Linehan discusses the issue of money laundering schemes being run through digital advertising. Behind these schemes are those who want to incite hate speech, murder, corruption, and the destabilisation of democratic regimes.
Julia highlights the need for the advertising industry to action against this problem and acknowledge that it is not a separate issue to ad fraud. She suggests the following measures we can adopt to help:
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Enhance due diligence: adopt more sophisticated techniques to thoroughly vet advertisers, partners, and third-party vendors. -
Cross-industry collaboration: best practices should be shared across companies, ensuring lessons learned in one corner of the industry are adopted across the board. -
Technological innovation: AI and Blockchain technology should be at the forefront of our strategy to identify irregular spending patterns, unusually high returns, and any dubious activity. -
Regulatory engagement: engaging with bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority will help establish clear guidelines for digital advertising and lead to more flexible frameworks to keep up with technological change.
Julia encourages us all in the industry to work together to create a safe and trustworthy environment: "Let's make 2024 the year we not only tackle ad fraud head-on but also close the loopholes that allow money laundering to flourish in our industry. The integrity of digital advertising and the trust of consumers depend on our collective action." | | | Call To Action
UNICEF: Help Us Create Industry Guidance on Responsible Online Engagement with Children! | | | UNICEF's Digital Technology Team are launching an exciting new project to promote responsible digital marketing by creating accessible resources for practitioners.
So they can develop these resources, they are looking for help from industry professionals and experts to help them with their research. If you would like to help them with this important initiative, please fill out their five-minute survey here: | | | Our Children's Rights and Wellbeing manifesto advocates for creating a safe digital environment for children. To do this, the industry needs to work together to make this critical change. | | | Watch out for more news on all things CAN related via LinkedIn. For any other questions or concerns, or if you would like to know more about joining, please feel free to contact us at hello@consciousadnetwork.org.
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Thank you for your ongoing support, The Conscious Advertising Network | | | | |
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