Why are some issues greyed out? Environment
- GHG Emissions
- Air Quality
- Energy Management
- Water & Wastewater Management
- Waste & Hazardous Materials Management
- Ecological Impacts
Social Capital
- Human Rights & Community Relations
- Customer Privacy
The category addresses management of risks related to the use of personally identifiable information (PII) and other customer or user data for secondary purposes including but not limited to marketing through affiliates and non-affiliates. The scope of the category includes social issues that may arise from a company’s approach to collecting data, obtaining consent (e.g., opt-in policies), managing user and customer expectations regarding how their data is used, and managing evolving regulation. It excludes social issues arising from cybersecurity risks, which are covered in a separate category.
- Data Security
- Access & Affordability
- Product Quality & Safety
- Customer Welfare
- Selling Practices & Product Labeling
The category addresses social issues that may arise from a failure to manage the transparency, accuracy, and comprehensibility of marketing statements, advertising, and labeling of products and services. It includes, but is not limited to, advertising standards and regulations, ethical and responsible marketing practices, misleading or deceptive labeling, as well as discriminatory or predatory selling and lending practices. This may include deceptive or aggressive selling practices in which incentive structures for employees could encourage the sale of products or services that are not in the best interest of customers or clients.
Human Capital
- Labor Practices
- Employee Health & Safety
- Employee Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion
The category addresses a company’s ability to ensure that its culture and hiring and promotion practices embrace the building of a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the makeup of local talent pools and its customer base. It addresses the issues of discriminatory practices on the bases of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and other factors.
Business Model & Innovation
- Product Design & Lifecycle Management
- Business Model Resilience
- Supply Chain Management
- Materials Sourcing & Efficiency
- Physical Impacts of Climate Change
Leadership & Governance
- Business Ethics
- Competitive Behavior
- Management of the Legal & Regulatory Environment
- Critical Incident Risk Management
- Systemic Risk Management
(Industry agnostic)
Disclosure Topics (Industry specific) for:
Advertising & Marketing
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Customer Privacy
Data Privacy
Due to the increasing prevalence of social media, location-based mobile applications, and e-commerce, the digital footprints of customers offer a more complete picture of their habits than was previously available to advertisers. Advertisers can collect and/or purchase highly detailed information about the habits and lives of buyers, and advertising strategies can be precisely targeted. Being part of an industry that uses large quantities of data about private citizens, advertising and marketing companies must weigh the benefits of targeted advertising versus customer concerns about data privacy.
Selling Practices & Product Labeling
Advertising Integrity
Companies have a legal responsibility to ensure that advertising about their products and services is truthful and not deceptive. While much of the burden of compliance with regulations about ad content and placement lies with the client, ad agencies play a vital role in the creation of ad content and are responsible for advising their clients regarding applicable regulations. Consumer protection laws provide guidance and restrictions on advertising to children and on advertising regulated products, such as alcohol and tobacco. Regulators may investigate the involvement of the ad agency in any deceptive advertising and take action against the agency. Advertising and marketing companies exposed to these regulations and concerns have responded by participating in self-regulatory programs that address these areas.
Employee Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion
Workforce Diversity & Inclusion
Competitive advantage in the Advertising & Marketing industry is derived from a company’s ability to produce creative, cutting-edge ideas. Companies in this industry aim to attract top talent to create the most successful ad campaigns. Additionally, larger companies have clients across the globe, and must employ a diverse workforce to effectively reach diverse audiences. Connecting with a target markets has been shown to rely, to a large extent, upon employing a workforce that is reflective of the community served. A diverse workforce is thus a critical success factor to improving service outcomes and enhancing a company's financial performance.
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