Advertising Standards Bureau Review of Operations 2014 | Page 14

CEO’s report
As a forward-looking
organisation with a view that
self-regulation is of benefit to
all—the community, business,
government, the region—our
achievements in 2014 were
extremely satisfying.

all aware of their role in Australia’s advertising
self-regulation system. In 2014 we were pleased
to deliver across five capital cities a range of
training and education material to meet the need
of the advertising community. Going forward
our commitment is to expand training and
information materials to assist the SME sector
apply community standards to its advertising.

Although the ASB itself has existed only since
1998, we were excited that we have made a
valuable and world-class contribution to 40
years of advertising self-regulation in Australia.
Our aim is to continue our pursuit of an
advertising self-regulatory system that exceeds
best practice and meets the needs of all of the
Australian community.

We also continued our conversation with
government organisations and officials about the
role and benefit of an independent complaints
handling system. While the Australian
government is currently committed to reduction
of less regulation and an increase of appropriate
self-regulation, our federal structure requires us to
work with nine governments to ensure advertising
self-regulation remains top of mine in considering
regulatory responses to issues.

In meeting the community needs, I am proud
of the small team at the Bureau who kept pace
with the highest ever number of complaints from
the community. Our ongoing work in refining
processes and adapting to changing media and
advertising environments has proven worthwhile.
Rejuvenation of the Advertising Standards Board
is a key way of ensuring Board decisions meet
community standards and during 2014. I was very
pleased also to welcome six new Board members,
who have quickly taken on the mantle of ensuring
community standards are maintained. On the
other hand it was sad to farewell Board members
who have made extraordinary contributions.
Our continued work with the broader advertising
industry aims to ensure Australian businesses and
the advertising services that support them are

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Our work to develop regional self-regulation
organisations was also successful in 2014.
The APEC advertising standards forum and
mentoring workshop held as part of the APEC’s
SOM3 meeting in Beijing on 8-9 August was
successful in bringing participants from 16
APEC Economies together to discuss advertising
standards and systems. Our efforts in this project
over the past three years has meant we have
developed important relationships among APEC
economies to support the growth of advertising
self-regulation in the region – and in turn improve
our own practice and the profile of Australian
self-regulation. With the APEC Leaders
Declaration supporting an ‘Action Agenda on
Advertising Standards and Practice Development

to promote alignment of advertising standards’
throughout the Asia-Pacific region, my team and
I look forward to future work with our regional
partners to benefit Australian industry, and the
communities in APEC economies.
Finally and most significantly thanks must be
given to Australian businesses: financial and
operational support of the advertising system
is essential to the success of the self-regulation
system but is also essential to demonstrating
industry commitment to appropriate advertising
and to ensuring the community standards
are respected.
I want to thank all our international, regional and
industry partners who support ASB in all areas of
our work. Our aim is to maintain a high level of
activity in providing a world-class system.
Fiona Jolly

Advertising Standards Bureau