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With the rise in technological advances and the speed at which information can be accessed online, we are seeing an increase in the spread of mis/disinformation and hate speech. We have seen all too clearly over the last month in the UK and across the globe how serious the implications of this can be. To fix this, we need to work together across the advertising and media industry.

In June, the United Nations launched its Global Principles for Information Integrity in response to the problem. At the launch, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated:

“At a time when billions of people are exposed to false narratives, distortions and lies, these principles lay out a clear path forward, firmly rooted in human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and opinion.”
The Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) was one of the leading advisors for the UN. We advocate for the entire advertising and media industry to act now and start adopting these principles where they can.

The Five Global Principles

The UN is calling for governments, tech companies, advertisers, media and other stakeholders to take action and help address this global threat by following these five principles:

  1. Societal Trust and Resilience 
  2. Healthy Incentives 
  3. Public Empowerment 
  4. Independent, Free, and Pluralistic Media 
  5. Transparency and Research

Why We Need to Act

Whilst targeted advertising and content monetisation have been acknowledged to have opened up opportunities for businesses worldwide, it cannot be ignored that they have also had a negative impact. 

The current digital advertising process lacks transparency and can incentivise disinformation and hate by exploiting user behaviour data to maximise engagement and revenue. This makes it possible for
advertisers to inadvertently fund undesirable individuals, entities, or ideas. This poses a risk to both brand safety and the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. 

Advertisers – What You Can Do

The guidance has set out recommendations for stakeholders across the information ecosystem. Here is a summary of what they have recommended for advertisers:

Establish human rights-responsible advertising: Establish safeguards, avoid discriminatory targeting practices, and advertise with media outlets that bolster information integrity.

Harness industry standards:  Make use of industry standards to develop clear policies to minimise risks to information integrity and help ensure brand safety.   

Form coalitions: Collaborate across industry and civil society to assess the impacts of advertising, and systematic mitigation of risks and potential harms from advertising and content monetisation. 

Require data: Establish an ongoing and full overview of advert adjacency, conduct suitability reviews before advert placement, and carry out thorough audits of advertising campaigns. 

Obligate transparency: Require ad tech companies to adopt transparency standards and share full advertising campaign data with clients and researchers, including placement and blocking data at the log level.  

Undertake audits: Require ad tech companies to carry out independent third-party audits and vetting of ad exchange supply partners.  

As advertisers and ad agencies, it is imperative that we start to take action within and work together to help make a successful and long-term change.

Head here for the full guidance.

A note from our Co Chairs

“The United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity are a huge step forward in the fight against misinformation and hate speech. We are delighted to have played an important role in fostering, through the Global Principles, a trustworthy advertising landscape, which will directly contribute to the overall integrity of the information environment”

– Jake Dubbins and Harriet Kingaby.

At CAN, we combine our advertising and human rights expertise to help implement industry, platform, and policy interventions – and embed human rights within relevant commercial and political decision-making, globally. To find out more about us and how to become a member, head here.

In the past week, we have seen riots take place across the UK, and people of colour targeted by far-right groups in the streets. This violence has been fuelled by misinformation online, which has been loaded with hate speech and xenophobia. This deeply concerns us at CAN, and will have been personally frightening for many of you, as it was for many of our team.

CAN’s mission is more critical than ever. We exist to try and break the economic link between advertising and the harmful content that divides communities. The choices we make as advertisers significantly impact society. Our industry can and should be doing better.

As we state in our mis/disinformation manifesto:

“Advertising can support the fight against disinformation and misinformation by funding reputable, high-quality, and publicly accountable publishers and broadcasters; taking swift action against publishers who peddle inaccuracies for commercial gain; and supporting public education around critical evaluation of media content quality and trustworthiness.

Advertisers should also take action to ensure that they do not inadvertently fund disinformation. The suppression of viable and accurate information is a form of misinformation in its own way.”

What CAN is doing:

  • We are ready to engage with the new government and OFCOM to urgently review the Online Safety Act which, while important, took too long and is woefully inadequate to deal with this level of disinformation and hate fomented on and offline.
  • We are in touch with our civil society partners and supporting or advising them where appropriate.
  • CAN will continue to engage with the UN on its United Global Principles for Information Integrity, which our advice helped to create. The United Global Principles for Information Integrity highlight how technological advances have enabled the spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech at an unprecedented volume, velocity and virality, risking the integrity of the information ecosystem. 

What YOU can do:

  • Review your organisations’ misinformation policy and ensure it is being met currently. Audit your site and app site lists to check they are not inadvertently funding hate or misinformation.
  • Check in with team members from global majority backgrounds to offer support during these challenging times. Organisations such as NABS are dedicated to advancing the mental wellness of the advertising, marketing and media community and are offering support through an advice line and coach-facilitated discussions. 
  • Review your keyword block list to be certain you are not defunding high-quality journalism covering large scale news events or covering misinformation itself.
  • Ask your platform representatives what they are doing to ensure your brand safety and information integrity around these issues, and what steps they are taking to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
  • Refer to CAN’s manifestos and the guidance within them and get in touch with the CAN team with any questions.

A message from CAN co-founders & co-chairs Harriet Kingaby & Jake Dubbins:

At CAN, we are an inclusive group, set up to improve the whole advertising industry. We strive to be inclusive of all and to address issues of extremism and marginalisation and look forward to continuing this work with the CAN membership. If you have further questions on this, or would like a chat, do get in touch by contacting Nafissa Norris, our Membership & Engagement Account Director. We will keep CAN members updated on any further developments.

We thank you once again for your support of CAN and hope that you and your loved ones are safe.

With the relaunch of our Children’s Rights and Wellbeing manifesto, we are spotlighting case studies from the industry highlighting how some of the principles outlined in our manifesto can be applied in practice. Our first case study comes from SuperAwesome – an award-winning technology company that is paving the way for responsible digital advertising to under-18s. 

SuperAwesome is an award-winning technology company that is revolutionising how we advertise to under-18s. Through the launch of AwesomeAds in 2013, they have created a platform that engages with younger audiences in a compliant and safe environment. Their work with gaming integrations, YouTube channels, influencers, and digital media professionals has paved the way for responsible digital advertising that puts children’s wellbeing at the forefront.

This case study illustrates how to embed safety-by-design in your advertising products, and how to market in an age appropriate manner; things which are outlined under Principle 1 and 3 in our Children’s Rights and Wellbeing manifesto.  

Read the full case study here.

We are excited to have relaunched our Children’s Rights and Wellbeing manifesto.
 
Last year, we started the process of reviewing and updating this manifesto. The process behind this new and improved manifesto has included roundtables and workshops with experts in the field, working with both civil society partners as well as advertisers and agencies. We have been honoured to work with groups such as Omnicom Media Group UK, NSPCC, the 5Rights Foundation, and Barnardo’s, as well as various academics, experts, and campaigners. This has helped us ensure that the advice contained within the manifesto reflects leading global actionable advice for advertisers.
 
We believe it is essential that advertisers understand their role in taking accountability for children’s safety online.
The manifesto contains six principles to help guide brands and advertisers to navigate this:
 
  1. Safety-by-Design: Embed safety-by-design in development and distribution of advertisement
  2. Responsible Practice: Comply with legal frameworks and conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment
  3. Age Appropriate: Develop and place advertising that is age appropriate by design
  4. Agency: Support child users’ decision-making and reduce exploitative features and business models that harm their agency
  5. Privacy: Embed privacy-by-design and data protection in marketing development and distribution
  6. Diversity, Equality & Inclusion: Be inclusive, treat everyone fairly and provide for diverse needs and circumstances

Unlike legal frameworks, this document sets aspirations for organisations to work towards. When working with members, we support them on their journey towards conscious advertising rather than expecting immediate perfection.

Rani Govender, Policy and Regulatory Manager at NSPCC, said of the new manifesto:

“Advertisers have a crucial role to play in delivering positive experiences for children online. Through tailoring their decisions to children’s rights and needs and by prioritising brand safety, they can help create a safer online world for children.

The NSPCC welcomes the updated Children’s Wellbeing Manifesto. Its ambitious, child-centred framework will support advertisers to consistently consider children’s needs and embed practices that promote their safety and wellbeing. We look forward to seeing advertisers use the Manifesto to make positive changes for children and demonstrate their commitment to a safer online world.”

Yeo Joung Suh, CAN’s Policy and Campaigns Officer (Children’s Wellbeing) shared:

“I am very grateful to have completed the manifesto review. My sincere thanks go to all the individuals and organisations whose tremendous help made this possible. I had the privilege of meeting about 40 experts from various companies and organisations, and their insights provided a significant and invaluable learning experience.

The relaunch of the manifesto is just the beginning. Our goal is to ensure it is effectively utilised within the industry. We’ve updated it based on stakeholder feedback, but its value depends on active industry use. We are committed to promoting and ensuring the effective use of it within the advertising industry.”

CAN panel at MAD//Fest, with Jake Dubbins, Victoria Ryan, Alvin Hussey, Andy Burrows, and Catherine Russell

We were excited to announce the relaunch of the Children’s Rights and Wellbeing manifesto at MAD//Fest this year, where we hosted a panel titled “Everyone’s Web: detangling the internet for the next generation in ten steps.” CAN Co-Founder Jake Dubbins moderated the panel, and we were honoured to be joined by Andy Burrows (Public Policy Strategist – Molly Rose Foundation), Victoria Ryan (Content Partnerships Director at Initiative – on behalf of LEGO), Alvin Hussey (Senior Business Development Manager – SuperAwesome) and Catherine Russell (Head of Sustainable Business – Vodafone).

The panel focussed on highlighting the current issues for children using the internet, spotlighting industry case studies, and the urgency and importance of advertisers’ responsibility. The need for safety by design was a key takeaway from the panel, with Andy commenting: “We are talking about preventable harm. We need to get to a point where safety is baked in by design; where it’s not an afterthought.”

During the panel, Jake led a Deep Dive highlighting key elements of our Children’s Rights and Wellbeing manifesto and shared a checklist of actions for advertisers and agencies to take to ensure they are protecting children online. He closed with the powerful words: “It’s vital we join forces. Take this personally. These are our children, our families, our communities.”

Read our refreshed Children’s Rights and Wellbeing manifesto here.

The Anticipation

In the weeks leading up to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, our team was buzzing with excitement. We meticulously planned our schedule, eager to dive into the festival’s rich array of sessions and networking opportunities with our members. We sought event recommendations from our network and Cannes Lions experts, Propeller Group, our amazing pro bono PR partner. Excited to engage with industry leaders and innovators, we embarked on our 16-hour rail trip…

Aims and Achievements

From the outset, our primary goals were clear: Networking and Door Opening. Cannes Lions provided the perfect platform to condense months of networking into five intense days. We seized every opportunity to build relationships with both existing and prospective members along with allies, forging partnerships that will strengthen our mission in the months and years ahead. 

The CAN at Cannes team included CAN co-founder Jake Dubbins, CAN advisory group co-chairs Tina Fegent (FCIPS) & Dino Myers-Lamptey, and CAN Membership & Engagement Account Director Nafissa Norris.

Raising CAN’s profile at Cannes Lions was another key objective. The festival of creativity offered a unique stage to raise awareness of our work and showcase our expertise to an audience of industry leaders and potential partners. Through panels, roundtables, and informal discussions, we highlighted the critical importance of conscious advertising and the enforcement of platform policies, positioning these not just as moral imperatives but as essential components of commercial success.

Day One: Setting the Stage

Our debut at Cannes Lions was marked by a compelling panel co-hosted by CAN and VCCP, and expertly moderated by CAN co-founder Jake Dubbins who wasn’t shy of asking the difficult questions. Titled ‘a murky, misinformed future – or the golden information age? VCCP & CAN explore how future technologies can be harnessed for good’, the discussions delved into the dual-edged sword of AI in advertising—its creative potential and the risks of misinformation. We also tackled the waste in the programmatic supply chain and the monopolistic grip of major tech platforms on advertising. The conversation on climate misinformation, spurred by our “Cost of Confusion” report with dentsu, was especially poignant. Here are some stand-out quotes:

Jake Dubbins (Co-founder of Conscious Advertising Network): “Sir Martin Sorrell earlier today on a panel said that AI will create millions of personalised iterations of an ad – the implication being that this is somehow a good thing. I think that’s a bad thing. The climate footprint and also just the consumer facing clutter is overwhelming in that vision.

Michelle Sarpong (Commercial lead at the7stars):“Clients don’t care about carbon calculators, but they do about cost impact”

James Shoreland (CEO at VCCP Media): “Strategy is just as much about you don’t do and what you do, do… you want more impact for less effort”

Paul Frampton-Calero (Global President and CEO at CvE – Marketing Consultancy):“If AI is used well, it can start to identify where the bad actors are”

Philippa Tilley (Head of Brand, Radiant & Care at Unilever): “Is my brand getting into a space where my brand should not be? We used to know the media we were buying … and we don’t have that anymore… Which is now terrifying”

A collage of the Conscious Advertising Network team at Cannes Lions

Day 2: Provocative Dialogues

CAN co-founder Jake Dubbins took on tough questions about the cost of sustainability at the LBBonline – Little Black Book & Friends Beach. Industry leaders like Mindy Barry from Mars and John Osborn from Ad Net Zero shared their insights on sustainable consumer engagement and the fight against greenwashing. Anastasia Leng from CreativeX underscored the importance of reusing creative work, pointing out that over half of produced content never reaches consumers. Jake passionately highlighted the overlooked sustainability concerns at Cannes, especially the environmental impact of AI-driven personalised ads.

Day 3: Continuing the Conversation

The discussions around ad fraud and brand safety continued with UKSAFC members and our own Membership & Engagement Account Director, Nafissa Norris. The collaboration and commitment to best practices in advertising were evident as we planned further joint efforts post-Cannes Lions. In addition, a private roundtable hosted by dentsu’s Jessica Tamsedge and Jordan Hunter-Powell in partnership with CAN enabled candid conversations about creating impactful advertising without harmful outcomes, promising quarterly follow-ups to keep the momentum. Special thanks to Gail Gallie for expertly moderating, and to special guests MelRose Wild (Bickerstaff), Julia Linehan, Linn Frost, Amy Williams, Sase Aimiuwu, Amy Bryson, and Tia McPhee. Our day concluded with the infamous Campaign UK party!

Day 4: Diversity and Celebration

Supporting our members at vibrant events like the BA Diversity Media Inc Riviera Rainbow Brunch, where we engaged in crucial conversations about diversity in media and advertising – including a spotlight on GenBTV – Generation Black TV. The WARC Riviera Reception at the Contagious villa was another highlight, providing a relaxed atmosphere to connect with industry peers while enjoying men’s Euros football, resulting in England 1 –1 Denmark. However, despite maintaining our professionalism all day, we couldn’t resist the must-visit experience of the infamous Gutter Bar!

Day 5: Engaging with Members

Our journey wouldn’t be complete without a series of meaningful meetings with our members. These intimate gatherings were a testament to the dedication and passion within our network for driving positive change in advertising. Discussions covered practical strategies, boosting membership collaboration, and added humour on navigating this intense week of networking and theatrics. After all, when else would you have a meeting while seeing the Olympic flame go by?

Reflections and Moving Forward

As we journeyed home for 16 hours via rail, the echoes of Cannes Lions lingered—a testament to the power of collective action and dialogue. The festival renewed our commitment to conscious advertising and ignited our determination to drive industry change.

Looking ahead, we’re energised by new partnerships and commitments, many of which were formed with The Marketing Society, Goals House, Clean Creations, Stagwell and others. This experience is not an endpoint but a catalyst for ongoing advocacy and collaboration. Whilst the topic of AI was on the forefront and sustainability on the backfoot, there’s food for thought on how CAN could make bigger waves in Cannes next year. In fact, we hit the ground running as soon as we got back on Monday 24th June with the release of the United Nations Global Principles on Information Integrity, of which CAN were leading advisors on this framework to enhance digital safety worldwide, read it here.

In a statement, co-chairs of CAN, Harriet Kingaby and Jake Dubbins, called the framework “a huge step forward in the fight against misinformation and hate speech”.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making our Cannes Lions experience unforgettable.

Here’s to the future of ethical advertising and the transformative impact we strive to achieve.

Until next year, le Croissette!

      • Widespread Concern: The majority of Britons believe climate change is affecting the global and UK economies, as well as the cost of living.

      • Impacts Underestimated: Despite widespread concern, many underestimate the personal impacts of climate change on their own health and quality of life.

      • Only 9% trust brands all of the time to accurately communicate climate commitments 

      • 85% recognise that humans have impacted climate change, but only half (50%) understand that humans are the main cause of climate change

      • Social Media’s Role: 40% of respondents identify social media as the primary source of climate disinformation.

    Climate disinformation prevalent in the UK

     

    Overall, 82% of the British public believes in at least one of the pieces of disinformation presented in the survey, and the average British person believes in 2.4 of the 7 pieces of information. Men, millennials and those outside England believe in more of the pieces of disinformation on average. Despite this, most (55%) do understand that climate disinformation has contributed to confusion or scepticism about climate change. A full 40% of respondents pointed to social media as the primary source of climate disinformation, followed by news articles (20%) and family and friends (9%).

    Concern about impact disconnected from the personal

     

    There is a high level of public concern about the impacts of climate change on various aspects of life. Two thirds (66%) believe climate change affects human health, but only 41% believe it affects their personal health. Further, while 74% believe climate change affects food and water security, only 48% believe it affects their quality of life, emphasising the need to connect global issues to personal experiences.

    Impact on brands

     

    With a high concern over impacts on the UK and global standard of living, 45% of consumers would stop supporting a company associated with climate disinformation while only 9% fully trust brands in how they portray their climate commitments. The prevalence of these narratives and mixed understanding of impact poses a risk for British businesses. Ultimately the report highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions which counter climate disinformation and promote accurate information to those susceptible to it.

     

    Jake Dubbins, co-founder, Conscious Advertising Network said: 

    “This research shows that misconceptions about climate change are widespread, and the advertising and media industries must recognize their role in either perpetuating or addressing these misconceptions.Businesses need to recognise that association with climate disinformation not only undermines their credibility and reputation but also jeopardises their long-term viability in a world increasingly focused on sustainability. By actively distancing themselves from disinformation and ensuring messaging aligns with climate science, companies can contribute to a more informed public discourse, bolster consumer trust, and safeguard their future in a changing economic and environmental landscape.CAN is working with media owners and tech platforms alongside members to implement climate misinformation policies aligned to the Conscious Advertising Network Climate & Sustainability manifesto. This has helped lead to climate misinformation policies developed by Google, Pinterest, Meta and Tik Tok”

     

    Pamela Stathaki, Head of Sustainability for the UK and EMEA at dentsu said: 

    “This survey shows us that there’s clearly a disconnect between the understanding of the global and personal impact of climate change and we’re hoping our work here can contribute to a greater sense of corporate responsibility. Therefore, when it comes to climate crisis communication – there is a need to create a responsible, evidence-informed dialogue which resonates with people. This demonstrates more than ever the power of industry bodies like CAN to convene key players across the industry including the platforms to both recognise the harms of mis/dis info and uphold standards.”

     

    To learn more, download the report here.

    CONSCIOUS ADVERTISING NETWORK (CAN) 2023 WRAPPED

    As we bid farewell to an extraordinary year, join us in revisiting the impactful moments, significant collaborations, and strides we’ve made toward a more ethical advertising landscape.

    Here’s a snapshot of our 2023 journey at the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN).

    Conscious Advertising Network Team

    Expanding the CAN Staff Team

    The CAN team nearly doubled in 2023! Welcome Nafissa Norris (Membership & Engagement), Yeo Joung Suh (Policy and Campaign Officer – Children’s Wellbeing), and Kate Affleck (Investigations Officer). Their fresh perspectives strengthen our advocacy and membership efforts.

    New 2023 CAN members

    New CAN Members

    We are proud to welcome aboard dentsu, IPG Mediabrands, The Digital Voice™, Mave Social Limited, World Media Group, and The Barber Shop as new CAN members.

    By joining CAN, they have committed to ethical business practices in hate speech, dis/misinformation, diversity, children’s wellbeing, informed consent, advertising fraud, and climate sustainability.

    Educating & Holding Big Tech Accountable

    In 2023 we guided TikTok in crafting a Climate Misinformation policy, setting a precedent for social media accountability. We were also elevated to a ‘Trusted Flagger’ by YouTube.

    Conscious Thinking Live 2023

    Conscious Thinking LIVE Event

    Our big in-person event on 16th November was a sold-out success! Exceptional insights were shared by speakers, and the energy in the room reflected the passion of the CAN community. Topics ranged from prioritising children’s wellbeing to exploring AI trustworthiness – and we even hosted a live podcast.

    Conscious Advertising Network at Cannes

    #CANatCannes

    Harriet Kingaby, CAN Co-Founder, represented CAN at Cannes Lions on a number of panels including for dentsu and the Clean Creatives ‘Next level Climate Summit’ discussing: How reskilling for climate can build better agencies. Harriet did this interview at the United Nations SDG Lounge.

    Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash

    Investigations

    CAN’s investigations team led many research projects this year, one focusing on the Women’s World Cup. We delved into monetised misogyny during the tournament, reviewing content across platforms. Our findings highlighted the need for more conscientious advertising in the women’s sports sector.

    CAN at UN General Assembly

    UN General Assembly at Climate Week

    CAN Co-Founder Jake Dubbins participated in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, You can watch the panel here as they discuss greenwashing, climate mis/disinformation delaying or preventing action and how tackling it is a global priority.

    Baroness Beeban Kidron at Conscious Thinking Live

    Children’s Wellbeing Manifesto Work

    We initiated a consultation on the Children’s Wellbeing manifesto, addressing digital impact on children’s rights. More to come on this in 2024!

    UN forum on Human Rights

    CAN at UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

    In November, CAN co-hosted a panel in Geneva, delving into the intersections between advertising and human rights—an urgent frontier for action. This session brought senior stakeholders together to discuss innovative approaches for a conscious and rights-based advertising approach. Co-organised with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

    Conscious Advertising Network at COP28

    CAN at COP28

    Busy at COP28 in Dubai, Jake spoke on a panel partnership with Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), UN DCG and UNFCCC titled “The importance of information integrity for climate action”. The discussion addressed climate misinformation dangers, platform transparency, codes of conduct, and ensuring accountability in oil and gas advertising. You can watch the session back here.

    CAN and Propeller PR team

    Propeller Group Partnership

    We are thrilled about our evolving partnership with Propeller Group! Set to amplify our communication reach and influence, this collaboration marks a new chapter for CAN’s visibility and impact in the ethical advertising domain.

    Conscious Thinking, the podcast

    LISTEN to Season 2 of #ConsciousThinking Podcast

    We were proud to conclude Season 2 of the Conscious Thinking podcast with Dentsu Creative. The season featured uncompromising discussions on key advertising challenges hosted by Ete Davies, COO EMEA at dentsu Creative. Topics included hate speech, discrimination, informed consent, AI, and ad fraud. You can access all on our website, Spotify, or Apple.

    From all of us at CAN, we wish you a happy holiday. Here’s to a successful 2023 and an even more impactful 2024! #TogetherWeCan 🌟

    We’re thrilled to announce the release of the Conscious Advertising Network’s annual report, a comprehensive look at our achievements over the past year.

    This report is a testament to the incredible collective effort of our members and supporters. Your dedicated support has been instrumental in shaping the success of our advocacy and membership initiatives. Together, we’re developing a conscious advertising landscape and making a positive impact on the world. 

    What’s inside: 

    • Hear from our co-founders: Gain insightful perspectives from the visionary leaders who laid the foundation for CAN.
    • CAN’s Big Wins: Celebrate our significant milestones and accomplishments that have solidified our influence on the advertising industry in the past year.
    • Advocacy Spotlight: Dive deep into our advocacy initiatives shaping the UN’s information integrity work, setting benchmarks for digital platforms, and championing responsible advertising, all in line with CAN’s mission and manifestos.
    • 2023 Investigations Spotlight: Read about CAN’s impactful investigation into the Women’s World Cup Euros, which exposed the issue of “monetized misogyny” online and highlighted the need for more responsible investment in women’s sports.
    • Membership & Engagement: Learn about the growth of our vibrant community and the diverse ways members actively engage with CAN.
    • What’s to Come in 2024… and more! Get a sneak peek into our plans and initiatives for the upcoming year, outlining our vision for continued impact.  

    Click here to access the annual report.

    Do you want to join CAN and actively contribute to the development and promotion of ethical advertising standards?

    Contact hello@consciousadnetwork.org

    The Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) has teamed up with dentsu Creative to launch a second series of Conscious Thinking, the podcast which takes an uncompromising look at the most challenging issues facing the advertising industry.

    SERIES TWO of Conscious Thinking has a new host: Ete Davies, Chief Operating Officer at dentsu Creative. Ete is a strategic and operational leader with over 20 years experience in the creative sector.

    Listen to all the Conscious Thinking episodes on Spotify, Apple or right here:

    EPISODE 1 – CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY (ACCOUNTABILITY SINCE COP26)

    With the recent launch of CAN’s new climate and sustainability manifesto, we discuss what, if any, meaningful progress our industry has made on climate and sustainability accountability over the past year.

    Ete is joined by a distinguished panel of guests to discuss this substantial and significant topic: Jake Dubbins, Co-founder at the Conscious Advertising Network, Anna Lungley – Chief Sustainability Officer, Dentsu International, Suzie Rook – Head of Group Brand and Design, SSE plc and Stephen Woodford – CEO, Advertising Association. See full transcript here

    EPISODE 2 – CHILDREN’S WELLBEING – CHILD PROTECTION

    In the recent inquest into the tragic death of Molly Russell, the coroner’s verdict was a world first in citing social media as a causal factor in a death, whereby he found that “Molly Rose Russell died from an act of self-harm whilst suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content.” Arguably one of the most emotive topics we’ll be covering in this series of Conscious Thinking, our panel discussed the implications of the Government delay to the new Children’s Wellbeing Code, part of the Online Safety bill.

    Our host Ete Davies is joined by some distinguished guests to discuss this substantial and significant topic: Ollie Hayes – Policy & Campaigns Lead for Global Action Plan, Beth Kerr – Group Wellbeing Director at Cognita, the global schools group, Melanie Kentish – Managing Partner at Gleam (talent management & influencer marketing agency within the Dentsu Creative network), Callum Hood – Head of Research at the Centre for Countering Digital Hate. See full transcript here

    EPISODE 3 – TACKLING HUMANS RIGHT ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

    The Qatar World Cup. It’s the first to be hosted in a Middle Eastern country, the first to take place in winter and the first global sporting event in world football since the pandemic. But regardless of the many firsts that there are to be acknowledged, it’s fair to say this World Cup has been amongst the most controversial in recent times. There are many questions around how Qatar was awarded the World Cup, to migrant worker deaths, to wider Human Rights issues and Controversies within the Qatari regime, and in particular, its stance on LGBTQ+ communities.

    In this episode, we’ll explore the topic of brand sponsorship and activism with regards to controversial events, hosts, or nations in the sporting arena. We’ll also discuss what responsibility advertisers, brands, social media platforms – all connected with sporting events – have towards representation, inclusivity, and equality in sport, particularly when it comes to sport related and brand sponsorship marketing, advertising, and PR.

    Ete is joined by some distinguished guests to discuss this substantial and significant topic: Amar Singh – Head of Content and Communications for MKTG Sports + Entertainment and Lou Englefield – Director of Pride Sports. See full transcript here

    EPISODE 4 – BRAND ACTIVISM, MIS- AND DIS-INFORMATION AND POLITICAL ADVERTISING IN THE US

    In the wake of the US midterms, the shock decisions on Roe vs. Wade from the Supreme Court and the ever-present spectre of politically motivated violence after the attack on the Capitol on January 6th 2021, in this episode we discussed what role Brands (and advertising more broadly) have to play in public discourse on social and political issues. We explored what’s next for brand activism, and examining political advertising in the US.

    Ete is joined by some distinguished guests to discuss this substantial and significant topic: Ambika Pai – Chief Strategy Officer at Mekanism a US based creative agency, Claire Atkin – Brand Safety Advocate and Co-Founder of Check My Ads Institute – the adtech industry’s first and only watchdog and Doug Gordon – Co-Founder of Upshift Strategies, as strategic communications, also based in the US. See full transcript here

    BONUS EPISODE – BRAND ACTIVISM AND POLITICAL ADVERTISING IN THE UK

    This is a follow up to a previous episode where we covered Brand Activism and Political Advertising in the wake of the US midterm elections. Joining Ete is Alex Tait – Founder of Reform Political Advertising, an organisation based here in the UK that is focused on regulation and awareness of political advertising for all. We spoke to him about the work he’s been doing with his organisation and how it impacts brands relationships with advertising and social media platforms. See full transcript here

    EPISODE 5 – INFORMED CONSENT: THE SURVEILLANCE ECONOMY

    With an increasingly fragmented media landscape, what does the future hold for data privacy, transparency, and regulation?

    The phrases “Creator Economy” and “Experience Economy” have often been used to describe modern consumer behaviour and how brands drive growth in the 21st Century. However, the infrastructure powering each of these ‘economies’ and most influencing human behaviour (without us knowing) is data. So, in truth are we in “The Surveillance Economy” and as our media landscape continues to become more fragmented, should we give more consideration to consumer data literacy and review our contract with them?

    Joining Ete in this episode are: Ossie Bayram – Country Director Ogury, Konrad Shek – Advertising Association Director of Policy Research and Matt Potter – Chief Content Officer Dentsu Creative and Author of We are all Targets. See full transcript here

    EPISODE 6 – HATE SPEECH & DISCRIMINATION

    This month’s policy briefing from António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, set out a common agenda and code of conduct on Information Integrity on Digital Platforms ahead of next year’s Summit of the Future.

    In this episode of Conscious Thinking, our panel discusses the responsibility of the advertising industry to improve the protection of migrants and refugees from hate speech and discrimination. Global conflict, climate change and economic hardship has resulted in higher migration and more displaced people than modern times has ever experienced. How can the ecosystem of advertising work harder to protect the societies in which it operates?

    This episode was recorded before the Migrant Boat disaster in Greece on the 18th June 2023

    Our host Ete Davies, EMEA COO Dentsu Creative is joined by:

    Pia Oberoi – Head of Migration & Human Rights, United Nations, Karen Middleton – Lecturer, Portsmouth University, Callum Hood – Head of Research, Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CDDH) & Matt Potter – Chief Content Officer, Dentsu. See full transcript here

    EPISODE 7 – SEASON 2 REFLECTION WITH HARRIET KINGABY

    To round off a great second season of the Conscious Advertising Network’s Conscious Thinking podcast, host Ete Davies is joined by Harriet Kingaby, Co-Founder of CAN to reflect on the some of the key themes covered in previous episodes including misinformation, human rights issues and climate & sustainability. Ete and Harriet also take a deep dive into the findings of the recent Conscious Advertising Network members survey, and how these insights will be used to drive their systemic change in the wider industry. Watch this space for a bonus episode to be recorded at the live Conscious Thinking event on 16th November, more info to follow soon. See full transcript here

    Our host Ete Davies, EMEA COO Dentsu Creative is joined by Harriet Kingaby, Co Founder, Conscious Advertising Network

    BONUS EPISODE: CONSCIOUS THINKING LIVE EVENT RECORDING – AI & AD FRAUD

    How can the advertising industry leverage AI’s potential while ensuring trust and authenticity in a climate of declining trust?
     
    This was the substantive question posed in a special edition of the CAN podcast recorded live at the #ConsciousThinking event in London. With CAN’s Ad Fraud manifesto at the top of the industry agenda, the wide-ranging conversation highlighted the importance of taking accountability for minimising advertising fraud.
     
    Guest Host Nicola Kemp, Editorial Director of Creativebrief is joined by a knowledgeable panel of guests to discuss this important issue: Dino Myers-Lamptey, Founder of The Barber Shop & Co-chair of CAN Advisory Group, Jules Kendrick, Managing Director UK & Europe at Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and Maninder Paul, Founder of Digital Connectors. See full transcript here
     

    A Dentsu Creative Production for the Conscious Advertising Network.

    Host: Ete Davies – Chief Operating Officer, Dentsu Creative, EMEA & UK
    Executive Producer: Jane White – Voluntary Events Director at CAN

    CAN logo

    To the CEOs of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat,

    As many of us warned, the lack of adequate action by social media companies to combat online discrimination has once again left players in the public eye subject to horrendous levels of abuse.

    The racism that we saw directed towards England’s players this week, when they should have been celebrating their highest finish in a major men’s tournament in over five decades, followed the trend of abuse that we have seen online over the past few years. Racist abuse causes trauma, not only to those who are targeted, but it also has a painful and triggering impact on others who view this online.

    When offensive, dehumanising and threatening messages are sent to players, it’s not just a question for the social media platforms but those who fund them as well. We as brands, agencies, trade bodies and civil society organisations who work closely with teams and players have a voice, opportunity and responsibility to not stay silent.

    That is why we are standing in solidarity with everyone who has received discriminatory abuse online and calling for all of us in the advertising industry to come together to find a solution.

    Social networks must do more to make their platforms safe for everyone. Therefore, we are calling on you to:

    1. Publish updated hate speech policies, that include the use of emojis, to support your zero tolerance approach.

    2. Advertise your zero tolerance approach directly to users.

    3. Enforce your policies and report racist abuse to the police, employers and relevant football clubs as a crime.

    4. Add an interstitial to disrupt potentially racist remarks, and ensure human checking on all posts flagged in this way.

    We expect these changes to have been made by the beginning of the 2021/22 Premier League season, 13th August 2021.

    If you would like to join the signatories, please contact hello@consciousadnetwork.org]

    Signed…

    Organisations

    Conscious Advertising Network

    Direct Line Group

    KFC

    VirginMediaO2

    Mars, Incorporated

    British Gas

    SSE plc

    PepsiCo organization

    Weetabix Food Company

    Havas Media

    KIND Snacks Ltd

    Giffgaff

    On the Beach Plc

    Hotel Chocolat

    Portas Agency

    Show Racism the Red Card

    Fare Net

    Ebiquity

    OMG UK

    Campaign UK

    International Advertising Association (UK)

    Women in Advertising and Communication Leadership (WACL)

    The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)

    Creative Equals

    Stonewall

    Bloom

    Splendid Communications

    Glitch

    adam&eveDDB

    MG OMD

    The7stars

    PHD UK

    Cirkle

    VERB Brands

    RAPP UK

    OMD EMEA

    Eve Sleep

    Sixteenbynine

    The Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE)

    Charities Against Hate

    The Beyond Collective

    Above+Beyond

    Yonder Media

    Hall and Partners

    Fold7

    WeAre8

    AAR Group

    Outvertising

    ENGINE Group UK

    MediaMonks

    Brand Advance Group

    DECA Media Consultancy

    SENTIMENT Live

    Antisemitism Policy Trust

    FCB Inferno

    Wunderman Thompson UK

    R/GA London

    Born Social

    Thinkbox

    Brooklyn Brothers

    Stop Funding Hate

    JW Collective

    Total Media Group

    Start Design

    M&C Saatchi

    VMLY&R COMMERCE

    What’s Possible Group

    Hope Not Hate

    Emarketeers

    MBAstack

    We Are Social

    OKA

    Media Bounty

    Center for Countering Digital Hate
    Stop Funding Misinformation

    Anything is Possible

    Zedosh

    Creative Culture

    VideoWeek

    DRUM

    The Voice

    The Jamaican Gleaner

    Creativebrief

    Empower Agency

    Toaster

    GrowthNB

    Mr. President

    Underdog Sports Marketing

    Adimo

    Mobsta

    PUNK Creative

    Migrants’ Rights Network

    Cazoo

    Teads

    AOP

    TAKUMI

    BBS Europe Ltd

    Focus On Film

    MHA

    Crispin Porter + Bogusky

    Gallium Ventures

    Ambiquity Consulting

    Bubbl Ltd

    Great Guns

    Entropy

    The Women in Programmatic Network

    Emily Ad Woman Ltd

    Harding Retail

    MediaSense

    LS Productions

    Marshall Street Editors

    Digital Voices

    DCM

    BicycleLDN

    DOOH.com

    Gravity Road

    Friday Sundae

    Citizen Relations

    The Marketing Store

    Fuse

    Avocet

    Bauer Media

    The Marketing Society

    The&Partnership

    Goodstuff

    Good-Loop

    The Great Pitch Company

    Ocean Outdoor

    Belonging Studio Ltd.

    Hidden

    The Advisory Collective

    OMGDOOH

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue

    Byte

    dentsu UK&I

    Blis

    Brandmint

    Equally Ours

    Firehaus

    Cubaka

    DDB Remedy

    Build Global

    Donate4Refugees

    Strike A Light

    Atomic London

    Gener8

    Automated Creative

    NOBL Media

    The Humane League UK

    Republic of Media

    Julia Macleod & LS Productions

    Waypoint Partners

    YRS TRULY

    MWW

    Handi

    Individuals

    Kerry Chilvers, Brands Director, Direct Line

    Jerry Daykin, EMEA Senior Media Director, GSK Consumer Healthcare

    Meg Farren, CMO, KFC UK & Ireland

    Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer, VirginMediaO2

    Simon Groves, Director or Brand & Marketing, VirginMediaO2

    Laura Lesser, Culture and Innovation, VirginMedia O2

    Kristian Lorenzon, Digital Lead, VirginMediaO2

    Jane Wakely, Lead CMO, Mars, Incorporated

    Stuart McDonald, Head of Planning, Insight & Performance at British Gas

    Andy Freeman, Marketing Director at British Gas

    Suzie Rook, Head of Group Brand and Design, SSE plc

    Karen Blackett OBE, CEO, GroupM UK

    Tim Irwin, CEO, Essence EMEA

    Kate Rowlinson, CEO, MediaCom UK

    Jem Lloyd-Williams, CEO, Mindshare UK

    Jack Swayne, CEO, mSIX EMEA

    Darren Rodwell, Barking in Dagenham Council

    Paul Hutchison, CEO, Wavemaker UK

    Alistair Maccallum, CEO, Kinetic UK

    Julian Douglas, Vice Chairman, VCCP Partnership

    Patrick Affleck, CEO, Havas Media Group UK & Ireland, Havas Media Group London

    Ben Downing, Global Managing Director, Ethical Media & Strategic Partnerships, Havas Media Group London

    Layla Malki, Havas Media Group London

    Catherine Newman, CMO, Manchester United Media

    Amir Malik, Managing Director, Accenture

    John McManus, Marketing Director, KIND Snacks Ltd

    Danielle Fox, Group Head, Digital Client Services, Disney

    Mary Portas, Creative Founder, We Are Portas

    Ash Schofield, CEO, giffgaff

    Zoe Harris, CMO, On the Beach

    Ellie Edwards-Scott, Co-Founder of The Advisory Collective

    Angus Thirlwell, co-founder and CEO, Hotel Chocolat

    Lysa Hardy, CMO, Hotel Chocolat

    Craig Inglis, Chairman, The Marketing Society

    Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society

    Nick Waters, Group CEO, Ebiquity

    Pia Oberoi, Senior Advisor on Migration and Human Rights, UN Human Rights

    Gayle Noah, Media Director, L’Oréal UKI

    Luke Southern, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DRUM

    Claudine Collins, Chief Client Officer, MediaCom UK

    Garrett O’Reilly, Managing Director, Hearts and Science

    Nilesha Chauvet, Managing Director of Good

    Chris Norman, CEO and Founder of Good

    Anil Lamba, global industry director, auto

    Cole De Luca, Account Management Lead — Strategic Accounts, Teads

    Matt Zander, Strategic Account Manager, Teads

    Julia Dudley, Strategic Account Intern, Teads

    Paolo Mule, Global Industry Director, Teads

    Ete Davies, CEO Creative, ENGINE Group UK

    Annette King, CEO, Publicis Groupe UK

    Sue Frogley, CEO, Publicis Media UK

    Nadine Young, CEO, Starcom UK

    Natalie Cummins, CEO, Zenith UK

    Pete Edwards, CEO, Spark Foundry UK

    Ottokar Rosenberger, CEO, Dreamlines (Cruise1st)

    Lidya Cortberg, Creative Director, DDB Remedy London

    Chris Gallery, Partner, Mother London

    James Joice, Managing Director, Fold7

    Richard Robinson, Managing Director, Xeim Engage

    Dean Aragon, CEO of Shell Brands International AG

    Helen Donovan, Community Manager, Tobacco Dock Workspaces

    Laura JB

    Jack Shukla, Account Manager, Europe

    John Sadler, Director, Sadler Advisory Limited

    Claire Randall, Claire Randall Consulting, Ltd // Advertising Production Consultants

    Caireen, CEO, Portas Agency

    Mary, Founder, Portas Agency

    Gill Huber, Managing Partner, Oystercatchers

    Helen Borkin​, Associate Director, Carat

    Georgia Harding, Finance Manager, Mobsta Ltd

    Adam Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer, Global Media & Entertainment

    Magnus Djaba, CEO of Creative Practice, Publicis Groupe UK

    Chris McCafferty, CEO of Influence Practice, Publicis Groupe UK

    Charlie Rudd, CEO, Leo Burnett

    Sarah Jenkins, MD, Saatchi & Saatchi

    Trent Patterson, MD, Publicis, Poke

    Paul Van Damme, Co-founder, Idea Gym

    Sarah Warby, Chief Customer Officer, Nando’s UK&I

    Richard Pattinson, Senior Vice President, BBC StoryWorks

    Amy Williams, Good-Loop

    Lauren McFarland, Senior Client Partner, Influencer

    Stephanie Brimacombe, CEO Europe and Global Chief Marketing Officer, VCCP, Managing Director, Chime, VCCP Media

    Steve Taylor, Joint Chief Strategy Officer, VCCP Media

    Tara Marus, Joint CEO, VCCP Media.

    Tommy Willis, Senior Creative, LADbible Group

    Nicola Smith, Head of People & Talent, Ocean Outdoor

    Richard Malton, Ocean Outdoor

    Sarah-Jane May, Ocean Outdoor

    Pete Metcalfe, MD, Carat

    Ashley MacKenzie, CEO, Fenestra

    Beth Freedman, CEO, dentsu X

    Sheryl Marjoram, CEO, McCann London

    Jason Foo, CEO, BDB Perfect Storm

    Huw Morris, Partner At Lee & Thompson Llp

    Nathan Bennett, Business Development Lead, OMGDOOH

    Ben Bale, Creative Innovation Director, DRUM UK

    Abbie David, Marketing Executive, IAA UK

    Mick Carter, SVP Culture Marketing, The Marketing Arm

    Lisa & Ellie, The Advisory Collective

    Matt Wright, Managing Director of Operations, dentsu UK

    Steven Scaffardi, Head of Mediatel Events, Mediatel Events

    David Spon-Smith, Alchemy Network

    Glyn Shadwell, Alchemy Network

    Dan Clays, CEO, OMG UK

    Ben Jeffries, Influencer.com

    Natalie Joseph-Lowry, Head of Digital Trading, Wireless

    Euan Jarvie, CEO, dentsu UK&I

    Kelly Jacobson Collins, Privacy Compliance Director, DPO, Blis

    Leon Robbins, Teads

    Dani Bassil, CEO, Digitas

    Jon Lonsdale, CEO, Octopus

    James Herring, CEO, Taylor Herring

    Mark Hughes, MD, Carat

    Matthew Pover​, Chief Client Officer, What’s Possible Group

    Barry Loughran, Managing Director Experience, dentsu

    Jo Grierson, MD, MSL

    Fredrik Borestrom, President, International Advertising Association, UK Chapter

    Karen Carter, Chairperson, International Advertising Association, UK Chapter

    Alec Samways, CEO, Splendid Communications

    Niki Hunter Ekins, MD, Splendid Communications

    Harriet Kingaby, Co-Founder, Conscious Advertising Network

    Jake Dubbins, Co-Founder, Conscious Advertising Network

    Nick Lowles, CEO, HOPE not hate

    Lucy Cutter, President, Bloom Women’s Communication Network

    Jane White, Founder, JW Collective

    Will Hawkins, Managing Director, Start Design

    Andy Orrick, Founder, Belonging, Creative Partner, Adoreum

    Getnet Kassa, Senior Account Manager, The Voice Media Group

    Andrew Stephens, Co-Founder, GOODSTUFF

    Tom Jenen, Chief Revenue Officer, Brand Metrics UK, Ltd.

    Zaid Al‑Zaidy​, Chief Executive Officer, THE BEYOND COLLECTIVE

    Tom Bedwell, Above+Beyond

    Ed Cox, Yonder Media

    Samantha Dolan

    Asad Dhunna, Chief Executive Officer, The Unmistakables

    Martin Woolley​, Chief Executive Officer, The Specialist Works

    Verity Brown, Managing Director, The Specialist Works

    Jennie Farmer, Chief Commercial Officer, OKA

    Cheryl Calverley, Chief Executive Officer, Eve Sleep

    Tina Fegent, Director, Tina Fegent Limited

    Chris Kenna, CEO and Founder, Brand Advance Group

    Jake Butteriss, Brand Advance

    Jessica Irwin, Brand Advance

    Melanie Lawson-Wall, Brand Advance

    Danny Stone MBE, Chief Executive, Antisemitism Policy Trust

    Shadi Halliwell, CMO at Pizza Express

    Christian Thrane, MD Marketing, BT Consumer — BT, EE, Plusnet

    Matthew Styles​, Business Partner, MERKLE

    Anthony Smallwood, Digital Business Director, PHD

    Ali Reed, CEO, PHD UK

    Dino Myers-Lamptey, Founder, The Barber Shop

    Kerry Glazer, Chair, AAR Group

    Mark Runacus MBE, Joint Chief Executive Officer, Outvertising

    Lucy McKillop, Joint Chief Executive Officer, Outvertising

    Dorian Leatham, CEO, Migrants’ Rights Network

    Larissa Vince, Chief Executive Officer, NOW

    Stephen Maher, Chair/Chief Executive Officer Mbastack, Chair Dma

    Martin Verdult, Managing Director, MediaMonks

    Melissa Chapman, Co-CEO, Jungle Creations

    Nat Poulter, Co-CEO, Jungle Creations

    Dr Edie Friedman, Executive Director, The Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE)

    Stephanie Parry, Crown Commercial Service

    Tasneem Eddoo, Crown Commercial Service

    Shahla Mack, Crown Commercial Service

    Julianah Owusu, Crown Commercial Service

    Tracy Clark, Crown Commercial Service

    Bridget Santander, Crown Commercial Service

    Race Equality Network, Crown Commercial Service

    Richard Rastall, Global Category Buyer — Digital, Advertising & Promotions, Imperial Tobacco

    Sally Cairns, Chief People Officer, Global Media & Entertainment

    Charlotte Hamill, COO & Partner, Born Social

    Karen Martin, CEO, BBH Partners LLP

    Lindsey​Clay, CEO, Thinkbox

    John Quarrey, CEO, Krow Group

    Jackie Stevenson & George Bryant, Founding Partners, The Brooklyn Brothers

    Chris Duncan, CEO UK Publishing, Bauer Media

    Cath Cimei, Chief Opportunities Officer, MurphyCobb & Associates Ltd

    Jamie Callaghan, Business Director — Connections Planning, OMD

    Jim Coleman, CEO, We Are Social

    Pat Murphy, Founder/CEO, MurphyCobb

    Justin Pahl, CEO, VMLY&R

    Michael Sugden, CEO, VCCP

    Sam Fenton-Elstone, CEO, Anything is Possible

    Matt Longley, Managing Director, Mobsta

    David Graham, Business Director, Mobsta

    Adrian Manian, Head of Sales, Mobsta

    John Scorah, Mobsta

    Meena Miles, Mobsta

    Olivia Barnes, Mobsta

    George Dixon, Mobsta

    Guillaume Kendall, Founder and CEO, Zedosh

    Ben Matthews, Director, Empower Agency

    Jane Strachan, Owner and MD, PUNK Creative

    David Indo, CEO, ID Comms Advisory

    Simon Akers, Archmon

    Gill Green, Marketing Director, Bigham’s

    Laura Sanderson, Teads

    Ryan Cook, Teads

    Justin Taylor, MD UK, Teads

    Sophie Evans, Creative Strategist, Teads

    Stephen Bullivant, Teads

    Ewelina Kapinos, Teads

    Michelle Le-Ward, Teads

    Amy China Wire, Teads

    Graham Alexander, Teads

    Bronwen Ellis, Teads

    Iain Gilmore, Teads

    Louise Mbugua, Teads

    Global Business

    Charlotte Anderson, GrowthNB

    Claire Hynes, CEO, Mr. President

    Mark C Howarth, Managing Director, MCH London & VP Professional Development, International Advertising Association

    Rachel Foster

    Gavin Stirrat, COO, Adimo

    David Clasen

    Dan Beynon, Head of Education, SMRS

    Marcus Brown, Founder, The Great Pitch Company, Co-Founder, BLITZWORKS

    Collette Philip, Founder, Brand by Me

    Helen James, Managing Director, Crispin Porter + Bogusky

    Jon Goulding CEO, Atomic London

    Becky Lalanne, Ambiquity Consulting

    Jo Eckersley, CEO, Bubbl Ltd

    Charlotte Childs, Chief Product Officer, Bubbl Limited

    Laura Gregory, Founder and CEO, Great Guns

    Tom Ollerton, Founder, Automated Creative

    Camilla Honey, Managing Director, jfdi

    Patrick Donovan, Managing Director, Tobacco Dock

    Ivo van Vollenhoven, Managing Partner, Twentyfour seven

    Nick Barthram, Founder, Firehaus

    Marie Owen, CEO, LS Productions

    Natalie Bell, CEO, MG OMD

    Paul Knight, CEO, OmniGOV

    John Mayes, Marshall Street Editors

    S.J. O’Mara, Marshall Street Editors

    Tom Kata, Tom Kata Design

    Sam Jones, CEO, Gener8

    Zia Tully, Head of Sales, Gener8

    Jennifer Quigley-Jones, CEO, Digital Voices

    Karen Stacey, CEO, DCM

    Catherine Morgan, Director of Ocean Labs, Ocean Outdoor

    Henry Daglish, Chief Executive Officer, Bicycle London

    Andrew Newman, CEO and Co-founder, DOOH.com

    Sabrina Clarke-okwubanego, Managing Partner, Build Global

    Liam Mullins, Managing Partner, the7stars

    Mark Eaves, Founder, Gravity Road

    Mark Boyd, Founder, Gravity Road

    Oli Richards, dentsu

    Veronique Rhys Evans, dentsu

    Vanella Jackson, Global CEO, Hall and Partners

    Rachel & Anil Glendinning, Founders, Friday Sundae

    Laura Fenton, CEO, OMD UK

    Simon Watson, Head of Digital, Republic of Media

    Amar Chohan, Managing Director, Contagious

    Lewis Rahman Salawu, Head of Digital Activation, Hearts & Science

    Louise Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, FUSE

    Prof. Gary Shuckford, Edenbridge Healthcare Ltd

    Hazel Soanes, Managing Partner, DDB Remedy

    Charlie Carpenter, CEO, Creativebrief

    Jawwad Mustafa

    Simon Rutherford, Managing Director, Cubaka

    Hugh Pile, CEO, Blue Skies

    Kenneth Kulbok, Avocet

    Lindsey Whitehouse, Managing Director, integrity events

    Stephen Knight, Pimento, Premier Recruitment, Pimento People, Pimento Partners and Now Next Why Ltd

    Minal Patel, Marketing by Minal

    Tim Sleath, VDX.tv

    Ben Hardman, Tiny Eco Home Life

    Jeremy Hine, Mullen Lowe Group

    Tom Buttle, President & UK Managing Director, MWW

    Michael Kempner, Founder & CEO, MWW

    Richard Jamieson, Head of Partnerships, New Statesman Media Group

    Emily Britton, Head of Publisher Development, Mantis

    Sarah Blowers, Co-Artistic Director, Strike a Light

    Mark Taylor, Global Account Director, Mediacom

    Cilla Goldberger, Managing Director, Amsalem Business Travel UK Ltd

    Rob Dembitz, CCO, Handi Technology

    Jeff Cobb, Director, Cobb Collective

    Jim Houghton, Waypoint Partners

    MJ Widomska, Creative Director at YRS TRULY

    Jo Grierson, MD, MSL

    Lloyd Page, Chief Marketing Officer, Motorway Online Ltd.

    Anthony Ganjou, CEO, Handi

    Claudine Collins, Chief Client Officer, MediaCom UK

    Laura Gomez, Digital PR Executive, iProspect

    Laurence Parkes​, CEO, Rufus Leonard

    Jacob Knox-Hooke, PHD Global Business

    Dominic Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Fishawack Health

    Gabby Edlin, CEO and Founder, Bloody Good Period

    Ruth Kieran, CEO, Cirkle

    Paul Hinds, Managing Director, APAC

    Victoria Fox, AAR Group

    Tracey Stern

    Alex Batchelor, Chair, Watch Me Think

    Simon Walton​, Brand Lead, 87Social

    Shirran Postlethwaite, Account Director, Merkle | DWA

    Aidan Hughes​, Senior Lead ‑ Paid Social, Merkle

    Vicky Blackburn, Finance Manager ‑ Germany, Merkle | DWA

    Oli Dodd​, Paid Social Manager, Merkle

    Sam Turner, Strategy & Planning Lead, Merkle

    Of note:

    Professional Footballers’ Association statement 12th July 2021 
    https://twitter.com/PFA/status/1414557119068753923

    Kick it Out statement 12th July 2021
    https://twitter.com/kickitout/status/1414527994098499584

    Letter from football bodies 11th Feb 2021 
    https://www.thefa.com/news/2021/feb/11/letter-to-facebook-and-twitter-20210211

    Enough Campaign by the Professional Footballers’ Association 19th April 2021 
    https://www.thepfa.com/news/2019/4/19/enough

    Show Racism the Red Card statement, July 12th 2021 
    https://twitter.com/SRTRC_England/status/1414532915841667073

    Can logo

    The recent Facebook boycotts pose a headache for charities. On one hand, Facebook is a key fundraising tool, on the other, it stands accused of failing to take action on hate speech, setting back civil rights, and posts on the platform are implicated in genocide in Myanmar. Not to mention removing fact checks from climate denial.

    Over 1100 companies worldwide have pulled millions of dollars in advertising from the social network, with brands from Coca-Cola to Ford, Unilever and Disney demanding that Facebook monitor hate speech more aggressively. And grassroots campaigns are now targeting brands and organisations who don’t take action.

    However, the issue is far broader than simply one platform. To understand the problem in its and think about solutions, we must look at the role of advertising as the funder of a free and open web.

    Let me speak plainly — part of your ad spend is probably working against your charitable intentions.

    We at The Conscious Advertising Network encourage advertisers to see their ad spend as an investment in the online world they would like to see. Advertising is an imperfect funder of the internet, and with that great power comes great responsibility. Issues with advertising funding hate speech and misinformation are way bigger than just one platform alone.

    A $235 million problem

    Advertising as a key funder of online hate and misinformation, which disrupts elections, incites religious violence, and is stopping us effectively tackling climate change. At least $235 million in revenue is generated annually from ads running on extremist and disinformation websites, fueled in part by well-known companies across all sectors, according to The Global Disinformation Index. Even the UN are concerned, CAN steering committee members took part in an event dubbed the ‘Economics of Hate’ in 2019.

    Sadly, we consistently find brand clashes on hate speech on the open web and on other platforms. Think Muslim charities on websites owned by members of the far-right, environmental and sustainability-based organisations on YouTube channels touting climate denial, or even those supporting human rights defenders appearing next to white supremacist narratives. By appearing on these sites, these charities are inadvertently funding content and people who work directly counter to their mission.

    And the results are shocking. One of our charity members has had to move offices because of racist thugs threatening their staff, hate crimes have doubled in 5 years, and we have 10 years to stop catastrophic climate change. These issues are here, they’re on our doorstep, and they’re partially fuelled by our advertising money.

    Diverse media is struggling for funding

    “We’re optimising for a straight, white internet.” Chris Kenna, Brand Advance

    The funding of harmful and illegal content is not the only problem with the system. Diverse publications are also struggling for funding, due to blocklisting used in programmatic advertisement placement. Blocklists are words which advertisers do not want to appear next to, such as an airline listing the word ‘crash’.

    However, A study by Vice found that words such as ‘Muslim’ and ‘lesbian’ were blocked more often than ‘guns’ and ‘murder’, and Cheq estimates that 73% of safe LGBT content is rendered unmonetisable due to blocklists. This means that vital publications for diverse communities struggle to fund themselves under the current system of programmatic advertising.

    All of the above is degrading internet health and placing more burden on affected communities.

    Solutions can be simple

    It’s time to think of your media spend as an investment in the kind of online world you want to see, and solutions can be simple.

    The Conscious Advertising Network has created a clear roadmap for how advertisers can act to avoid funding the worst of the internet, and to better fund the bits we need to keep. We’re free to join, and all our materials are open source.

    This month is #ConsciousAdMonth, and we’re asking every advertiser and every agency to take at least an hour this month to sit down and say ‘What are we doing already to tackle hate speech, ad fraud & fake news? What more can we do? How can we instead fund journalism, quality content and diversity?’. If you work on the publisher/platform side then ask yourself how you can make this easier for advertisers, to guarantee safety in your environments, and how we can work together as an industry to improve measures of quality & attention, and bring them into our trading.

    At the very least, you can join CAN, use our audit tool to work out how you can use your adspend more effectively. Many of our members also offer solutions to help you spend you ad money in a way more in tune with your charity’s aims. For example:

    • Brand Advance place ads with diverse media to ensure it is funded.
    • Good Loop offer ‘opt in’ ad formats which also make donations to charity.
    • Media Bounty are a creative social media agency with a conscience.

    Example tips

    Programmatic

    • Audit yourselves against the CAN hate speech and misinformation manifestos.
    • The key thing is to direct more spend to quality, diverse publications, and defund the rubbish.
    • Ask to see a full site list of where your ads appear.
    • You’ll likely want to ignore your ‘performance metrics’ for a bit and be creative.
      You might want to think about things like creating strong inclusion lists, as opposed to relying on key word blocking, and if you can afford it, switch to contextual brand safety tools to ensure you don’t appear in places you don’t want to.

    Platforms

    • They’re listening to you right now. Use your collective voice to talk to them.
    • Look for new ones, get creative.
    • Compile lists of creators and channels you’d like to support, and those who are off limits.

    A huge thanks to GOOD Agency, whose invitation to speak inspired this post. Get in touch with us at hello@consciousadnetwork.org for more information.

    Get in touch+

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