Promoting and defending responsible marketing communications

The legitimacy of marketing is increasingly questioned…

Restrictions to marketing communications are arising at national, regional and global levels. Marketers worldwide need to be aware of any economic trading region introducing advertising legislation since there is often a spillover effect: issues rapidly transcend national borders and become regional and/or international.

• Marketing to children: Activists question its moral justification and propose a Swedish-style ban on all marketing communications aimed at the young.
  
• Promotion of food and drinks: In light of the growing incidence of obesity, particularly among children, the World Health Organization, EU and national regulators have targeted food marketing as a potential area for further legislation worldwide.
  
• Automobile marketing: Continued debate on road safety and climate change has led to proposals for tighter regulations for the marketing of cars.
  
• Marketing of financial services: The increasing number of indebted households has increased scrutiny of the marketing of such services.
  
• Digital advertising: Concerns over data protection on the Internet, particularly from children, have arisen worldwide and in a number of contexts.
  
• Alcohol advertising: Increasing alcohol consumption, particularly among the young, has led to global scrutiny of alcohol promotion

Getting better value for your ad spend

WFA offers marketers a unique global platform to agree on common issues and to voice concerns that significantly impact the effectiveness of their ad spend. Many international marketers confront the same challenges when it comes to managing and optimizing marketing communications budgets: 

• Above inflation media cost increases in key ad markets;
• Poor media audience measurement systems;
• Fundamental challenges in the area of agency compensation policies;
• Growing impact of new media developments on  media strategies;
• Lack of transparency in media buying and advertiser-agency relationships;
• Media ownership concentration & media agency consolidation.

Putting the consumer first

WFA and its members recognize that our ability to market our products and/or services is a responsibility we cannot take for granted. Marketing must reflect a changing society and societal sensitivities. Only through a careful sensitivity to and better understanding of our consumer will marketers preserve their right to operate freely and remain relevant to people’s lives.