Advertising ethics as university curriculum

Institute for Advertising Ethics | Interactive Discussion on the Importance of Advertising Ethics | Advertising Ethics as University Curriculum | Advertising Ethics: Wally Snyder's Rallying Cry for the Industry | Endorsement Resolution

By Wally Snyder

Student Assignments | Research Findings

During the past two semesters I have brought together International advertising leaders with professors and students at the Missouri School of Journalism to study and promote the role of Advertising Ethics. My working proposition is that the proactive consideration of ethics in our ad campaigns will enhance consumer trust and brand loyalty, especially in this time of unprecedented consumer control over the commercial information they choose to receive. I am indebted to the contributions made by our students in helping us to understand the importance of ethics to consumers and to our industry, as well as the most salient concerns expressed by marketers and consumers.

We are designing a Global Forum on “The Principles for Ethical Advertising“to bring top advertising executives (CEOs, CMO’s, COO’s, CFO’s, EVPs, SVPs, and VPs) from around the world to share their experiences and ethical concerns. We turned to four student teams in the Capstone program to develop a strategic plan for planning and promoting the Global Forum to include: (1) ascertain the three to five “Hot Buttons” regarding ad ethics that will bring these busy executives to our forum; (2) develop a marketing plan to communicate the importance of the forum to this targeted audience; and (3) Lay out an interactive Web site to facilitate communication on speakers and events. Judges for Capstone team presentations were Rance Crain, Bill Price and myself.

The Global Forum became the client for these advertising majors who used the experience to help them prepare for “real world of advertising” clients. I was privileged to be their client contact and had the opportunity to meet with them monthly as they conducted research and prepared their respective plans. I am so impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm each of the students brought to the project. Their recommendations and work product were simply outstanding. The written portfolios contain facts and recommendations that are finely honed and professionally presented. The oral recommendations
delivered on April 28, 2009, were done with the skill and confidence that bode well for the future of our ad industry.

In order to ascertain the “Hot Buttons” that would draw top executives to our forum each team was charged with collecting secondary research on Advertising Ethics, including a literature search on extant advertising ethical codes from around the world. In addition they collectively conducted online surveys with follow up telephone interviews of the beliefs of consumers, marketers, and advertising majors.

The primary research is proving invaluable as we develop our advertising ethics program. Consumers, marketers and ad majors all believe ethics in advertising to be very important; “honest advertising” was the top ranked aspect by consumers they felt would make a company ethical. The groups also concurred that advertising is not as ethical as it should be. The Capstone student teams also branded the forum and recommended advertising “selling points” to promote it. The designed Web sites were all attractive and very functional for interacting with our targeted audience. Significant recommendations also included conducting the Global Forum as an online conference to minimize costs and maximize attendance.

As the Capstone client we received outstanding advertising agency advice on planning and marketing our conference. At the same time, I believe the students, as advertising majors, participated in an Advertising Ethics curriculum that prepared them well for the new world of advertising.