Dallas, TX, October 13, 2009 -- The positive results and high profile achieved by the BBB Dallas local Advertising Review program have earned the 2009 Outstanding Bureau Award for Ad Review, Overall Program. The award was presented on October 6, 2009, at the Annual Assembly of BBBs in Boston, MA.
“Promoting truth in advertising through voluntary self-regulation with businesses is at the heart of the BBB,” said Jay Newman, President, BBB in Dallas. “By working to ensure that the public can rely on the truthfulness of advertising, the BBB helps to maintain trust in the marketplace.”
Mr. Newman accepted the award on behalf of staff members David Beasley, Director of Ad Review, and Phylissia Landix, Business Standards Analyst.
The 2009 award for Ad Review, Overall Program, recognizes the day-to-day successes of the BBB Dallas local Ad Review program. During the 12 months of the award timeline, most of the 120 cases handled by BBB Dallas have been resolved positively. In 73% of challenges, businesses either:
• provided substantiation for advertising claims;
• modified advertising claims; or
• discontinued the challenged claims.
Earlier this year, one of BBB Dallas’ ad review challenges was highlighted in The Wall Street Journal. An article on June 24, 2009, told how a local Oriental rug store claimed it could advertise “Going Out of Business” because the store had registered as its name, “Going Out of Business”. Following a challenge from BBB Dallas, the store changed its name to Cyrus Rug Gallery but has continued to advertise liquidation sales.
In 2008, BBB Dallas received the Outstanding Bureau Award for Ad Review, Single Case. The award entry, titled “Taming the Walking Fingers”, described the BBB’s work on advertising claims and customer complaints on Yellow Pages Directories, an independent directory publisher.
The local Advertising Review program of the BBB in Dallas works with business to achieve the highest ethical advertising standards through self-regulation. The BBB identifies advertising that may be deceptive or suggests unethical business practices. The BBB Code of Advertising, part of the Code of Business Practices, outlines basic principles and specific guides for truth and accuracy in advertising.
When an ad is challenged, the BBB asks the advertiser to substantiate, modify, or discontinue the advertised claims. If an advertiser is unable to substantiate the claims or declines to discontinue claims not in adherence to the BBB Code of Advertising, then that information is included in the Bureau’s report on the business. For more on the BBB's local Advertising Review program, see http://www.dallas.bbb.org/dallasadreview/.
Learn more about the BBB Code of Advertising at www.bbb.org/us/code-of-advertising/.
About BBB serving Dallas and Northeast Texas
The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas, Inc., is an independent, non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization's standards of ethical business behavior. BBB services include BBB Reliability Reports™ on businesses, complaint resolution services, advertising review, and information on topics affecting marketplace trust. The BBB serving Dallas and Northeast Texas was founded in 1920 and is one of 124 BBBs serving the U.S. and Canada. The BBB System evaluates and monitors more than 4 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.