GROWING ROLE OF ETHICS TO BE EXPLORED AT MARKETING MEET
ACA and ASC present executive summit on April 24 in Toronto

 Toronto, March 20, 2007: The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) will present an executive summit on Tuesday, April 24 that focuses on the expanding demand for corporate transparency, integrity and social responsibility as prerequisites for marketing success. The theme of the day-long event, to be held at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto, is The Ethical Imperative: Beyond Compliance.

The timing of the executive summit marks two milestones in Canadian marketing history – the 90th anniversary of ACA’s incorporation, and the 50th anniversary of ASC’s founding.

“We wanted to commemorate these landmark anniversaries by providing a meaningful contribution to our understanding of how the ground rules for corporate behavior are evolving, and the strategic implications this development holds for marketers,” said Ron Lund, President and CEO of the ACA. “The evidence is mounting that consumers want corporations to go beyond the pro forma observance of industry codes and regulations. Today, compliance is just the point of entry.”

“The emerging model calls for ethical commitments that fulfill corporate values and enhance responsible cultures at every point of stakeholder contact, and at every stage of product conception, production, sales and marketing,” said Linda Nagel, President and CEO of ASC. “Corporations, regardless of size, ownership and location, are increasingly being measured by this rigorous new yardstick. This is especially true in our ever more borderless world, where climate change, healthy lifestyles, fair trading practices and other such issues are global in scope.”

The executive summit will tackle the challenges – and opportunities – presented by this heightened focus on ethics, and the implications for developing a sustainable business model that drives a competitive advantage. Sessions will cover the status of advertising self-regulation around the world, emerging best practices, evolution of compliance codes, corporate case studies and research initiatives.

Speakers include Toronto author John Dalla Costa, an expert in business ethics; Stephan Loerke, Managing Director of the World Federation of Advertisers, Brussels; John Coyne, Vice President and General Counsel, Unilever Canada; Lee Peeler, President and CEO of the U.S.-based National Advertising Review Council; Dr. Oliver Gray, Director General of the European Advertising Standards Alliance, Brussels; Tony Pigott, President and CEO, JWT Canada; and well-known industry lawyers Robert Legault of Montreal and Rafe Engle of Toronto.

Tickets for the executive summit are $450 for ACA and ASC members, and $695 for non-members. Registration forms can be downloaded from the ACA’s website. Event sponsors to date are CanWest MediaWorks (Presenting Sponsor) and Marketing Magazine (Trade Media Sponsor).

Founded in 1914 and incorporated in 1917, the Association of Canadian Advertisers – Canada’s only national association exclusively representing client marketers – is dedicated to helping members maximize the value of their investments in all forms of marketing communication. The ACA represents over 200 companies and divisions that collectively account for estimated sales of $350 billion annually.

Advertising Standards Canada is the advertising industry self-regulatory body. ASC administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, the principal instrument of advertising self-regulation in Canada, and accepts complaints from consumers about advertising. ASC’s members include leading Canadian advertisers, advertising agencies, and media organizations.

Media contacts: Randy Scotland
Vice President, Communications, Association of Canadian Advertisers
(416) 964-1043 / rscotland@ACAweb.ca / www.ACAweb.ca

Melissa Campeau
Communications Manager, Advertising Standards Canada
(416) 961-6311 x 227 / Melissa.campeau@adstandards.com / www.adstandards.com