RESPONSIBLE ONLINE ADVERTISING IN AUSTRALIA
Local business owners are investing heavily in online advertising in Australia. With 80% of the population having internet access, marketing a business has definitely taken on the World Wide Web to gain more customers and improve their sales. Advertising has absolutely changed over the years.
Unfortunately, some advertisers would do anything, whether legal or unethical, just to make sure that they promote their business. This results to more complaints and disappointing and annoying marketing strategies.
Setting Advertising Guidelines
In the country, groups and organizations such as the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), Australian Digital Advertising Alliance (ADAA), and Interactive Advertising Bureau Australia (IAB Australia) have taken the necessary steps to set guidelines in advertising in Australia.
The collaboration of these organizations has resulted in releasing the Australian Best Practice Guideline for Online Behavioural Advertising. This provides information both to advertisers and consumers to avoid unethical marketing practices. The main goal is to have more responsible advertisers and better educated consumers. Advertising in Australia is taken seriously and even has laws to secure the consumers’ safety.
Responsible Online Marketing
Every professional marketing consultant should know and apply ethical practices in online advertising. The Advertising Standards Bureau in Australia administers the AANA’s Code of Ethics. If everybody observes these codes, the internet would have more credible advertisers and more trusting consumers.
Perth SEO is a Perth based professional marketing agency advertising in Australia. With more than 7 years of experience in online marketing and over 400 satisfied clients, Perth SEO shares their views on what a responsible advertiser should be.
Provide Truthful Information – Misleading advertisements are not only annoying. Advertisers using such strategies tarnish the reputation of credible advertisers as well. Section 1.3 of the AANA Code of ethics state, “Advertising or marketing Communications shall not be misleading or deceptive or be likely to mislead or deceive.” A responsible advertiser should be straightforward with their message and should not trick internet users into clicking an ad just to gain website traffic.
Practice Confidentiality in Obtaining Consumer’s Information – Any customer information obtained by an advertiser or website owner should be handled with utmost confidentiality. Because customers entrusted their personal information, they expect that these will remain private. Selling databases and client information is unethical and illegal.
Do Not Spam – Spams belong to one folder – the spam folder, which should automatically be moved to trash. It’s plainly irritating for consumers. Advertisers spamming forums are also very unprofessional.
Do Not Attack Competitors – A fair practice in advertising entails promoting your business without having to put down competitors; or even worse, spread false and degrading information about them.
Include an Opt-out Link in E-mail marketing – A customer who previously opted to sign up for your company’s e-mail marketing should also have the chance to opt out of it. Nobody should receive any marketing materials that he or she no longer wants.
Responsible advertising in Australia should be a model for other countries. Be it ads on TV, print, radio, or the internet, advertisers must think first of the repercussions of their every marketing move.