Newsletter

Building Trust at Every Touchpoint The Institute for Advertising Ethics is gaining momentum, propelled by the success of our October Global Ethics Day in New York. Across participants and panelists alike, IAE’s Ethics Day affirmed a growing consensus that trust is now becoming operational, measurable, teachable, and scalable throughout the advertising and media ecosystem. Global Ethics Day 2025: Building Trust at Every Touchpoint The Liberty Room at Frankfurt Kurnit was filled on October 15 as leaders from industry, government, civil society and academia united for IAE Ethics Day 2025. Delegates from the U.S. Government, ANA Ethics Center, Microsoft, Kenvue, Uber, LinkedIn, Google LLC, Yahoo Inc., Accenture, Dentsu, Paul Weiss, Mastercard, and many others came together around a single, urgent theme: advancing the creation of scalable ethics standards to restore trust across the $1.5 trillion advertising and media industry, especially amid the rise of AI. The work is well underway, led by leaders shaping an open, validated, multi-stakeholder standard, one that delivers transparency, interoperability, verifiability, and broad adoption. Highlights included: “The future of advertising depends not only on innovation but on trust. Ethics shouldn't be understood as a constraint on innovation, rather as a catalyst for it." -Dr. Juan Mundel, Editor, Journal of Advertising Education. Dr. Juan Mundel speaks about rebuilding trust in Advertisin g “We need to create a culture where people can ask questions and where we prioritize ethics.” -Dr. Anna McAlister, Director of Curriculum and Assessment, IAE Experts highlight the role of ethics education and self-regulation in the Advertising Industry “Trust is the new currency in our industry. Without it, even the most creative campaigns can’t sustain real impact.” -Ty Heath, Director and co-founder of the B2B Institute, LinkedIn Fireside Trust Performance and Ethics in Action “People tend to believe computers are smarter than we are, which makes us less likely to question their output.” -Dr. Dana LaFon, U.S. Government Panel Explores Global Ethical Frameworks Guiding AI and Advertising “AI knows, but AI doesn’t think and AI doesn’t feel. That’s a line that’s helpful for me.” -Esther Uhalte Cisneros, Head of eCommerce & Retail Sales, Germany, Google Experts Debate “Where to Draw the Line” in Advertising Ethics, AI and Authenticity “Legal is [...] the floor and ethics is the ceiling. Even if something is legally correct, it may not be ethically right to do.” -Peri Fluger, General Counsel, Ruder Finn Building a Culture of Compliance: From Policy to Practice

Dear members & partners, From CEAE earning the highest academic honor and national media recognition, to institutions embedding ethical skills at the core of learning and leadership, the message is clear: trust is the ultimate differentiator.

Dear members & partners, Big things are happening at IAE, and we want you in the loop! This month’s updates reflect bold action: new leadership, IAE in the news, faster certification, and what's coming next to bring ethics to the world of influencer marketing. 

Dear members & partners,  The results are in: Trust pays dividends. Ethical brands grow faster.

Dear members & partners, As the advertising world evolves, so do the ethical challenges and opportunities for improvement. We’re sharing some latest news, expert insights, and IAE updates to help you stay informed and lead with integrity.

Dear members & partners, The IAE serves as a bridge between consumers, industry, and government, collaborating to strengthen advertising ethics and the systems that uphold them. As our community of certificants and partners expands, we’re gearing up to share exciting updates and fresh content!

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. 

Dear members & partners, We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone for the Institute for Advertising Ethics: Executives at over 100 companies now hold IAE certifications , totaling over 3,000 certifications across the industry . This surge reflects the growing commitment to ethical advertising practices. A special acknowledgment goes to all of the collaborators on Green Shield for their exemplary adoption and promotion of our certification program.