EASA Member Spotlight: Deutscher Werberat

30 April 2021

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Deutscher Werberat

Each month, EASA features one of its members. In April, the spotlight is on Germany with a focus on Deutscher Werberat. To learn more, we asked a few questions to Katja Heintschel von Heinegg, Managing Director of Deutscher Werberat, about how she got involved in advertising self-regulation and the highlights of the SRO. Additionally, on 22 April, EASA and ICAS held a joint webinar – SRO System in Focus: Germany with both German self-regulatory bodies – Deutscher Werberat and Wettbewerbszentrale. The session and generated high interest from the participants.

 

Can you briefly tell us about your background? 

Born and raised in the southwest of Germany (Stuttgart), I studied law at the University of Augsburg. After my first Stateexam, I moved to Aachen to teach civil law to students studying economics at RWTH Aachen before finishing my legal traineeship and passing the second law exam. I added a Master of European Studies from the University of Frankfurt/Oder Viadrina when my daughter was born, and we lived in the United States (Rhode Island). Back in Germany, I worked in a media law firm before joining ZAW in 2007. At ZAW and Deutscher Werberat, I became Head of European Affairs in 2011.

Since 2019, I am Managing Director of the Deutsche Werberat.

What motivated you to get involved in advertising self-regulation?

I started my career in a law firm specialised in national press law. I was always interested in the European background and the link between law and economics, so working for an industry federation was a challenge when I got the opportunity to work at the advertising federation in Germany (ZAW). Since the German Advertising Standards Council, the Deutsche Werberat is embedded in ZAW I got involved in advertising self-regulation right from the beginning when starting to work for ZAW in 2007.

Can you tell us more about Deutscher Werberat?

The Deutsche Werberat is the German advertising self-regulatory organisation dealing with taste and decency. It watches over the advertising industry codes, which have been developed and endorsed by the advertising industry and are going beyond the legal regulation in Germany. It is an institution of the 43 organisations of advertisers, the media, advertising agencies, the advertising professions and research establishments represented by the German Advertising Federation (ZAW). It is funded by all relevant participants in the advertising market. The ZAW Presiding Committee elects the fifteen members of Deutscher Werberat every three years.

A set of self-regulatory rules on advertising applies to all industry sectors and all communication channels (offline and online). The advertising industry has also adopted specific sets of rules for several sensitive areas. Notable examples include codes on advertisements featuring and targeting children, personal denigration and discrimination, and advertisements depicting accident risks. 

Breaches of the extensive advertising law, for example, the rules on misleading advertising, are not in the remit of Deutsche Werberat. The Wettbewerbszentrale (WBZ) is in charge of these cases.

What are some of the current/upcoming developments and priorities?

We see challenges in food and alcohol advertising as well as environmental issues on the topic side. In media, the fast-changing trends in online advertising need to be taken care of by the self-regulatory system. The whole discussion on influencer marketing is still ongoing. On the monitoring side, artificial intelligence and specialised software is something to look into very deeply in the next years.

Are there any achievements you would like to mention?

The Deutsche Werberat is true advertising self-regulation. It is solely carried out by the industry. No authority or other stakeholders are involved. The system is highly recognised in Germany by the public and by the government. The ministries usually refer complainants to the SRO when they are confronted with complaints about advertising. When stricter rules on advertising are discussed, self-regulation through Deutsche Werberat is considered by the authorities and the current government.

What are the current challenges Deutscher Werberat is facing?

There probably will be new challenges after the next election in September 2021, of course, depending on which parties are going to be in the government.

Any message you would like to address to the ad SR community? 

We are very proud and happy to be part of EASA’s self-regulatory family and strongly believe that together we achieved huge recognition on a European level and beyond. We might all have different systems but are united in this diversity and keep working together for efficient and successful advertising self-regulation.