A study of accredited and unaccredited Australian advertising agencies

Abstract

The recent decision by the Australian Practices Commission to end the system of accreditation which had prevailed in the Advertising industry since 1975 has led advertising practitioners to reflect on the benefits and ills of accreditation. Under appeal for months by the Australian Federation of Advertising, the system of accreditation was finally abandoned in July 1996. In order to assess the potential differences which may exist between accredited and non-accredited advertising agencies in Australia, a large-scale survey was undertaken a few months prior to the Commission decision. Agencies were found to differ significantly in terms of size and make-up, but shared a number of attitudes and beliefs in respect of other marketing professionals and the potential of alternative forms of marketing communication tools. Respondents' understanding of, and behaviour relating to, the legislation were also found to differ depending on their accreditation status.