Influencer Marketing – Austrian Advertising Council Adopts Specific Rules

The Austrian Advertising Council (Österreichischer Werberat) is the self-regulating body of the Austrian advertising industry. A main pillar of the Council's work concerns the adoption of a self-binding ethics code for the advertising industry (Ethik-Codex der Werbewirtschaft) to be followed by advertising agencies and advertisers in Austria and imposing sanctions for violations.

In case of violations, the Advertising Council could condemn the advertising practice and either merely admonish the advertiser or even request that the infringing advertising practice be ceased (which could lead to media refusing to support/publish the campaign materials). The decisions of the Advertising Council can be made available to the public, leading to a general loss of reputation and the discrediting of the advertiser. Furthermore, the Austrian Supreme Court regularly considers such self-binding ethics codes when examining industry practice, in particular in the context