The Communications Council offers a range of options to help agencies better train their staff and meet the requirements under accreditation.
Trade Practices
Accreditation Requirement: The agency should have a Trade Practices Compliance Program in place and 75 per cent of relevant staff (creative, planning, account service and production) should demonstrate an understanding of the principles of the Trade Practices Act as they apply to advertising and communications companies. This can be verified by:
- Actively participating in an ACCC workshop or other similar workshop,
- Sign-off by a registered Trade Practices Act lawyer
Graeme Samuel, Chairman of the ACCC, has indicated that the best form of protection from prosecution for advertising agencies - and their clients - is to put a Compliance Program in place. The Communications Council has been running a successful program covering both ACCC issues and Ethics for agencies since 2001. To date, most members have participated, many repeating the exercise annually. These workshops are constructed in two 90-minute plus modules:
1. Covers the reasons why a culture of compliance is an essential, sensible and practical form of 'risk insurance' for all agencies today.
This in-house workshop can comprise from 20 to 40 people from all areas and levels of the agency: creative, production, media, strategic as well as financial and account management. The workshops are interactive, with print and TV commercials and hypothetical advertising cases that demonstrate potential and actual Trade Practices Act issues. Special attention is focused on 'at risk' categories, industries and issues. They are couched in plain English and avoid legalese. Note that clients are also welcome. All participants receive easy to follow handout notes
Cost: $800 + GST. Discount for repeats.
2. A continuum outlining a simple and practical step-by-step system that demonstrates how to install an agency-friendly compliance program.
This workshop is more detailed and usually comprises a smaller break-out group from the first. It should comprise company directors, general, financial and senior management, plus account management people, particularly those who might work in 'at risk' categories. Participants will learn how to tailor fail-safe steps that fit with existing agency systems and provide the agency with maximum protection, but not restrain creativity. The agency will be provided with automatic updates and advice from the Communication on relevant ACCC issues.
Cost: $600 + GST.
For agencies wishing to conduct a Trade Practices (ACCC) workshop or those who have completed one in the past and need guidance in completing the Eight Point Checklist, please contact Gawen Rudder on (02) 8297 3800.
Codes and Regulations
Accreditation Requirement: 75 % of relevant staff (creative, planning, account service and production) whose clients are involved in specific Codes and Guidelines should demonstrate an understanding of these principles. This can be verified by:
- Actively participating in a workshop
- Participation in an advertiser or industry training workshop
The Communications Council will conduct Code Workshops for member agencies that select relevant category codes according to their advertisers. An 'a la carte' list for selection by the agency covers the following Codes (and Industry Guidelines):
Advertiser Ethics
Alcohol
Children
Motor Vehicles
Therapeutic Goods
Media & Clearance
e-Marketing
Food & Beverages
Jewellery
Private Health Insurance
Real Estate
Telecommunications
These Workshops will be costed according to time involved in the presentation. For more details and bookings contact Gawen Rudder on (02) 8297 3800.
Ethics
Each agency should ensure that 50 per cent of staff have competed an Ethics Workshop to qualify for Accreditation. A workshop will need to be completed every two years.
The Communications Council conducts these workshops at a nominal charge of $400 which is used to defray costs.
The workshops are interactive, instructive and conducted in a fun atmosphere. They bring to life the Code of Ethics signed off by the agency's CEO as a condition of membership.
Ideally the workshop comprises up to 25 people drawn from every area of the agency from new staff through to top management. Together we explore the balance between personal values and agency culture as we demonstrate the crossover between the hard issues of the law (ACCC) and the so-called softer issues of ethics. The big difference is these workshops are fun and can get quite noisy! A series of 'hypo-ethicals' tease out contrasting personal versus corporate culture behaviour and beliefs. The learnings invariably come from the participants rather than the moderator. The workshops invariably prove to be a great team-building exercise for the agency.
Training Workshops: For more details and bookings contact Gawen Rudder on (02) 8297 3800.
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