2026
Community Sentiment Tracker Report – Wave 4 (Latest)
Our latest wave of community sentiment research, conducted by Roy Morgan, provides insights into community perceptions and expectations around health and safety in advertising.
Key insights:
- Safe and healthy advertising is expected: 87% of Australians believe advertising should show safe and healthy behaviours, including 55% who say it is very important.
- Social media is the top platform of concern: 71% are concerned about unsafe or unhealthy behaviours in social media advertising, rising to 78% among those who use it several times a day.
- Highest concern categories: Australians are most concerned about advertising that presents unsafe or unhealthy behaviours as fun, cool or desirable (63%). Other key concerns include social media or influencer advertising showing unsafe behaviours (61%), children’s exposure to advertising that depicts unsafe behaviours (60%), and advertising promoting unrealistic or unhealthy body image standards (56%).
- Unsafe or unhealthy behaviour is being noticed: More than one-third (36%) report seeing advertising they believe promoted unsafe or unhealthy behaviours in the past three months.
- Some behaviours are widely viewed as unacceptable: Smoking or vaping, not wearing a seatbelt and excessive alcohol consumption are among the behaviours most likely to be considered never acceptable to show.
- Other behaviours may be acceptable in certain circumstances: Children being shown in unsafe situations like climbing trees, sun exposure without protection, and dangerous or risky stunts are among the behaviours most likely to be considered acceptable to show in certain circumstances.
Community sentiment and trust in advertising
The research also explored general sentiment and trust in advertising
Community Sentiment Tracker Report – Wave 3
Explores how Australians feel about advertising.
Focus areas: sentiment towards influencer marketing, general sentiment towards advertising.
Community Sentiment Tracker Report – Wave 2
Explores how Australians feel about advertising.
Focus areas: sentiment towards AI-generated content in advertising, general sentiment towards advertising.
Community Sentiment Tracker Report – Wave 1
Explores how Australians feel about advertising.
Focus areas: general sentiment towards advertising, greenwashing.
2024
Community perceptions research
Explores community perceptions of advertising.
Focus areas: Language, violence.
2021
Community perceptions research
Explores community perceptions of advertising.
Focus areas: Discrimination, exploitative/degrading sexual imagery, sex and nudity.
2018
Community perceptions research of clearly distinguishable advertising
Explores community perceptions of social media and online advertising.
Focus areas: Influencer advertising
2017
Community perceptions research 2007 – 2017
10 year overview of community perceptions of advertising.
Research archive
- 2017: Community perceptions 2007-2017
- 2017: Community perceptions
- 2017: Community standards research – 10 year overview
- 2017: Benefits of an advertising self-regulatory system
- 2015: Community perceptions of advertising directed primarily to children
- 2015: 40 years of advertising self-regulation in Australia
- 2013: Exploitative and degrading advertising research
- 2013: Exploitative and degrading advertising research – overview
- 2012: Community perceptions research
- 2012: Community perceptions overview
- 2010: Review of Independent Review process
- 2010: Community perceptions of sex, sexuality and nudity in advertising
- 2009: Violence research report
- 2009: Discrimination and vilification research report
- 2008: Community standards research