Advertising Standards Bureau - Review of Operations 2013 | Page 19

Constant improvement of
complaints procedures
To maintain pace and set benchmarks in
complaints administration, the ASB is constantly
working to implement initiatives which improve
the complaints system and benefit the community,
advertisers and self-regulation in general.
At the outset the ASB had only a manual system
of complaint lodgement. Over the years this
has been improved, with web based complaints
accepted since 2006 and a mobile and tablet
friendly complaint lodgement facility added in
early 2013.
In line with best practice, in 2008 the ASB
increased Board member numbers from 12 to
20 and increased meeting frequency from once a
month to two meetings each month.
Training and awareness sessions for Board
members over the years, has involved a variety of
guest speakers from government organisations,
community groups, academic and research
institutions and industry organisations. These
sessions are held to ensure Board members
have an understanding of current trends and
perceptions in the broader community.
As part of the ASB’s commitment to international
best practice an independent review process was
implemented in 2008. This process, as with all
ASB processes is reviewed regularly.
As guides for industry and the community the
ASB has prepared determination summaries and
set international and national benchmarks with
ongoing community perceptions research.

Speedy resolutions
The procedures and systems implemented by
the ASB over the past 15 years have helped in
achieving speedy complaint resolution. In 2013,
the average time taken to finalise all cases—from
receipt of complaint to publication of a finalised
case report—was 36 calendar days.
A review in 2009 showed that, only two per cent
of cases were completed within 30 calendar days,
63 per cent were completed within 31 to 60 days
and the remaining 35 per cent were completed in
over 61 days.
System improvements since that time have
resulted in a reversal of those figures. In 2013
performance figures showed that from the receipt
of a complaint to finalisation of a case 37 per cent
were completed within 30 days, 58 per cent
were completed within 31-60 days and only
four per cent took over 60 days.
Timeliness performance is also now easily
reported with workflows and other processes
able to be identified through system reporting
functions. These functions highlight blockages
and delays which can be acted on to ensure ASB
provides a timely complaint resolution service.
Determination summaries

Research

Discrimination and vilification in advertising

2013 Research Report – Exploitative and degrading
advertising

Sexual appeal in an exploitative and degrading
manner in advertising
Portrayal of gender in advertising
Violence in advertising
Health and safety in advertising
Language in advertising

2012 Research Report – Community
perceptions research
2010 Research Report - Community perceptions of
sex, sexuality and nudity in advertising
2009 Research Report Community perceptions of
violence in advertising
2009 - Discrimination and Vilification
Research Report

Review of Operations 2013

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