Responsible Advertising

When you lodge a complaint with the ARB we request certain information. This is to ascertain, as far as possible, that you are a real person, that you are not a competitor pretending to be a consumer and that multiple complaints do in fact come from separate individuals.
We share your name with the Advertiser against whom you complained, and we publish your name in our decisions, if the matter reaches that point. If you do not wish for this to occur, you need to withdraw your complaint.
We do not share any of your other information without your permission.
Your information is securely stored on our server.
You may at any time request details about what information we have about you.
We may from time to time use your information to examine complaint trends based on demographics. In doing so, we will at no time link your name to such trends analysis.
You may at any time before a decision is made, withdraw the complaint and ask us to erase your data.
However, once a decision is made, we are required to keep a full record for our legal protection in the event that the matter is challenged at a later stage.
You may contact info@arb.org.za for any information in this regard at any time.

RESPONSIBLE ADVERTISER, ADVERTISING AGENCY
& MEDIA COMPANY

The Responsible Advertiser and Agency campaigns seek to ensure support for the jurisdiction of the ARB. To start, one must understand our relevant constituencies. These include:

MEMBERS are industry bodies that bind their members to the jurisdiction of the ARB.

FUNDERS are entities that are financially supportive of the ARB.

RESPONSIBLE ADVERTISERS

These are marketers who have committed themselves, whether through membership of a member body or by signing a pledge – through their own sense of ethics – to being bound by the jurisdiction of the ARB and committed to ethical, consumer-centred advertising. Importantly, consumers know that when they interact with these companies and brands, they can expect ethical and honest advertising from advertisers committed to the principles of self-regulation and consumer protection.

RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES

These are advertising agencies that have undertaken to bind their clients to the Code of Advertising Practice, and to assist the ARB in identifying whether or not a specific brand is bound.

RESPONSIBLE MEDIA

These are media companies who have committed themselves, whether through membership of a member body or by signing a pledge – through their own sense of ethics – to being bound by the jurisdiction of the ARB and committed to ethical, consumer-centred advertising. Importantly, consumers know that when they consume media content published by these companies and brands, they can expect ethical and honest advertising from advertisers committed to the principles of self-regulation and consumer protection.