Elevating Trust: Innovative Approaches to Consumer Protection – main takeaways

18 April 2024

Yesterday, as part of the European Consumer Summit’s lead-up, the conference ‘Elevating Trust: Innovative Approaches to Consumer Protection’ took place, under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024. The event welcomed Belgian State Secretary for the Budget and Consumer Protection, Alexia Bertrand, whose keynote address and panel participation on ethical marketing added significant depth to the discourse.

The discussions delved into critical subjects such as responsible influencer marketing and the delicate balance required to meet consumer needs, notably in areas such as privacy, while encouraging continued innovation in marketing practices. Central to the dialogue was the recognition of all actors within the advertising ecosystem as pivotal in increasing consumer trust. The importance of advertising self-regulation emerged as a key theme, complementing legislative frameworks and reflecting a collaborative approach advocated by Bertrand herself. In her words: “When you work with the sector to develop the rules, to build a structure that works to protect consumers, the sector will respect these rules, because they were a part of the dialogue, and of course this means also trust.”

A huge thanks to the other co-organisers FEDMA, BAM – Belgian Association of Marketing and ICC Belgium, for making this event possible.

To read the main takeaways, you can download the press release (EN) here.