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Ethical Marketing Policy

Introduction

As a purpose driven brand, poeple and planet sit at the heart of the Black Skies Blue business and should be reflected in everything we do – including our marketing. 

To sell more stuff and make more profit, companies have relied on advertising to convince consumers that buying their product or service is key to happiness – leading to unethical marketing practices. 

At Black Skies Blue, we aim for ‘natural’ marketing; treating customers with respect, focusing on long term growth and knowing when we have arrived. Ultimately, if we achieve our mission, we will no longer be required.

Marketing in an ethical way focuses not only on how our services benefit our customers, but also how our business is striving to shift business models to those that work within a wellbeing economy. 

We are a brand with a powerful purpose that aims to bring that purpose to the world in a way that stays true to our values in order to engage and empower our community. 

Ultimately, the public have the right to honest information on how Black Skies Blue does business. 

The marketing function has a major responsibility to make this happen the right way at the right time. 

Purpose

This ethical marketing policy (the ‘Policy’) sets out Black Skies Blue’s position on marketing practices and efforts to go beyond compliance to ensure honesty, fairness and responsibility in our ways of working. 

Scope

This Policy applies to all employees and third parties associated with Black Skies Blue, or any of our subsidiaries or their employees, no matter where they are located. The Policy also applies to Officers, Directors, Board and/or Committee members at any level. In the context of this Policy, third-party refers to any individual or organisation that Black Skies Blue meets and works with including but not limited to suppliers, contractors, distributors, agents and customers. 

Principles

Legally Compliant

  • All marketing communication must be legal, decent, honest and truthful.
  • Prepare all marketing communication with a sense of responsibility to customer and society.
  • Respect the privacy and confidentiality of customers, protecting them from unwarranted infringements of privacy.
  • Do not unfairly portray or refer to anyone in an adverse or offensive way.

    Foster Trust

      • Seek to build long term partnerships with customers by being honest and straightforward.
      • Take all reasonable care to avoid misleading statements, concealment, and overstatement in all advertising and public statements.
      • Strive to communicate clearly with all stakeholders.
      • Do not imply that expression of opinion are objective claims or make any subjective claims that might mislead the customer.
      • Hold documentary evidence to prove claims that customers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation.
      • Do not cause fear or distress without justifiable reason. If it can be justified, the fear or distress should not be excessive. Do not use a shocking claim or image just to attract attention.

        Environment

          • Create advertising consistent with the social, economic and environmental principles of a wellbeing economy.
          • Take into account Government guidance including the Green Claims Code1.
          • Ensure the basis of environmental claims are clear and not misleading.
          • Ensure the meaning of all terms used in advertising is clear to customers.
          • Do not make unqualified claims and any absolute claims must be supported by a high level of academic and scientific evidence.
          • Do not suggest claims are universally accepted if a significant division of informed scientific opinion exists

          Diversity

            • Understand that the ‘average customer’ might not always be the standard.
            • Acknowledge that there are groups who are vulnerable that must be considered in judging how advertising will be understood and action upon by society in general.
            • Acknowledge the basic human dignity of stakeholders.
            • Value individual differences and avoid stereotyping customers or depicting demographic groups e.g. gender, race, sexual orientation in a negative or dehumanising way.
            • Listen to the needs of customers and make all reasonable efforts to monitor and improve their satisfaction on an ongoing basis.
            • Make every effort to understand and respectfully treat all stakeholders (buyer, suppliers, distributors etc) in our community and the cultures they are from.
            • Make additional commitments to vulnerable market segments such as children, seniors, economically impoverished and others who may be substantially disadvantaged.
            • Do not contain anything in marketing communications likely to cause widespread offence.

              Children

                • Respect that care should be taken when featuring or addressing children in marketing communications and take care when featuring children in advertisements.
                • Ensure marketing communication that are addressed to, targeted directly at or featuring children contain nothing that is likely to result in their physical, mental or moral harm.
                • Do not show children in hazardous situations or behaving dangerously expect to promote safety.

                Responsibilities

                The senior marketing team, led by the Marketing Director, have the ultimate responsibility and accountability for ensuring compliance with this Policy. 

                The wider marketing department is responsible for the delivery of activities in line with this Policy. 

                The Directors should be consulted where any key decision points arise or in case of any breach of our Policy. 

                Compliance with this Policy extends to our marketing partners and suppliers, including ambassadors. Black Skies Blue will not work with any partner unwilling to comply with this Policy. 

                All employees and third parties who have any responsibility for the activities which this Policy relate to, will be required to understand and agree to this Policy. 

                Training & Communication

                Black Skies Blue will provide regular ethical marketing training to all relevant employees. All employees will have access to this Policy. The Marketing Director must ensure any employees where this Policy is relevant to their operational responsibilities have agreed to this Policy and attended training. Black Skies Blue will communicate this Policy to all third parties at the outset of any business relationship, and as appropriate thereafter. 

                Monitoring and Review

                Black Skies Blue will evaluate the effectiveness of this Policy and the implementation of it on an ongoing basis, to ensure that it remains effective and reflects best practice. We will regularly assess internal and external control systems and procedures and encourage feedback from employees and customers in our community on how this Policy can be improved. 

                Reporting

                Black Skies Blue will include information on compliance to and continuous improvement of this Policy in annual business reports to ensure transparency of operational practices.