Bulletin #3: Advancing Ethics Through Research & Practice
Dear members & partners,
Two recently published studies in the prestigious Journal of Advertising Education validate the transformative impact of IAE’s Certification programs, highlighting their role in raising the bar for talent, companies, and ethical advertising practices.
What sets this research apart is its peer-reviewed status, which ensures that findings meet the rigorous standards of academic integrity outlined in the Singapore Statement on Research Integrity. Incidentally, this places the CEAE program’s research at a higher standard than typical advertising research, which, for instance, lacks peer review.
As Dr. Anna McAlister, IAE’s Director of Curriculum and Assessment, highlights, this research demonstrates how the CEAE program equips advertising professionals to navigate complex ethical challenges confidently and honestly. These peer-reviewed studies provide a reliable, validated foundation for advancing ethical practices, showcasing the IAE’s commitment to credible, evidence-based solutions.
Michigan State University Study (McAlister, A. R., Richards, J. I., & Torrance, A. T. (2024)). Certified Ethical Advertising Executive: An Online Tool for Teaching Advertising Ethics. Journal of Advertising Education.
CEAE graduates showed significant improvements in 9 of 12 key metrics, including confidence in identifying unethical practices and belief in the importance of ethical advertising. On a 5-point scale, confidence scores jumped from 3.89 to 4.20, an 8% increase based on the CEAE alone.
University of Colorado Study (Schauster, E. (2024)). Doing the Right Thing and Moral Education: Impacts of CEAE Certification on Advertising Professionals. Journal of Advertising Education.
A study by Professor Erica Schauster from the University of Colorado reveals the transformative impact of CEAE certification. Participants achieved an average N2 score of 43.02, a measure of advanced ethical decision-making and moral development.
A Growing Community of Peers
We are excited to share that 3,500 professionals across 140 companies and a dozen universities have achieved certification. These milestones reflect the growing commitment to ethical advertising and the ever-increasing currency of the certifications.
Are you ready to become one of the 3500+ professionals certified? Start 2025 off strong by becoming a Certified Ethical Advertising Executive here.
Coming Soon: AI Ethics Shield
To address artificial intelligence's unique challenges, the IAE is developing the AI Ethics Shield, a pioneering framework to help organizations navigate the ethical complexities of AI deployment in advertising.
This new certification—expected to launch early in Spring 2025—will equip practitioners to understand the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI-powered personalization and data privacy issues, AI-generated content, deepfakes, and AI agents and autonomous workers.
Enhancing Access Through Technology
To enhance learning and accessibility, the IAE has transitioned to Kajabi software. This upgrade ensures seamless access to our certification programs, making ethical education more convenient for professionals worldwide.
The IAE website has also been redesigned to provide industry professionals and students easier access to the resources being deployed. Take a look at the new website at IAEthics.org.
Stay Involved
Wondering how you can stay involved with the IAE and the work we're doing?
1. Get Certified: We encourage you to advance your professional development by completing the Certified Ethical Advertising Executive (CEAE) course and our free Green Shield course for greenwash prevention.
2. Stay Connected: Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the IAE as we continue to push the boundaries of ethical advertising.
3. Donate: Your generosity powers our mission. Every contribution helps us to raise ethical standards across all aspects of advertising communications. Donate today!
Thank you for championing ethical advertising. Together, we’re shaping a more accountable and trustworthy industry. We’re grateful to have you on this journey!
Best,
The Institute for Advertising Ethics
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