World first Australian research wins international award

A study into the effectiveness of the advertising complaints system in Australia has received international recognition.

The prize for thought leadership was awarded to Australia’s independent advertising complaints adjudicator, Ad Standards, by the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS) for world-first research into the costs and benefits of advertising self-regulation in Australia.

The report from Deloitte Access Economics ‘Assessing the benefits of a self-regulatory advertising complaints handling system’ focused on the differences between self-regulation of complaints handling and direct government regulation.

It found that the advertising self-regulatory approach achieves similar outcomes to government regulation in compliance and effectiveness, and performs better in terms of cost, efficiency and responsiveness.

“Deloitte Access Economics has a passion for rigorous, independent analysis to inform policy makers and regulators. The award for Ad Standards shows that Australia’s advertising industry punches above its weight, not just in creativity and innovation, but also in regulation thought leadership,” said Deloitte partner John O’Mahony.

Ad Standards CEO, Ms Fiona Jolly, welcomed the ICAS award as recognition of Ad Standards’ commitment to advancing the role and integrity of advertising self-regulation.

“The research is the first of its kind in the world. It clearly shows that the Australian system of advertising self-regulation works in the best interests of consumers which is great news,” Ms Jolly said.

“Ad Standards has shown it continues to meet the challenges facing self-regulation and the award is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to ensuring our system is a leader in world’s best practice,” said Mr David Scribner, Chair of Ad Standards.

The award also recognises the global relevance of the methodology which can be easily applied to international markets. Already, the ARPP which is responsible for advertising self-regulation in France has signed up with Deloitte France to undertake similar research on the benefits of advertising self-regulation.

ICAS is the international organisation promoting the effective implementation of self-regulation. The Global ICAS Awards reward initiatives that contribute to responsible marketing practices through self-regulatory standards.

The award-winning research report from Deloitte Access Economics was published by the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) in August 2017. In March 2018 the ASB rebranded to Ad Standards.

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