Ethical Marketing & Public Relations Policy

Making Sure Our Marketing and Public Relations are Ethical

Marketing is ultimately about selling things, products, services, or ideas. However, how we do this is really important, and we need to be ethical in our processes and our output.

Scope: This covers all our marketing and PR, including claims about our impact, our services, branding and taglines, and statements about our purpose.

We don’t want to claim things that we can’t back up. We don’t want to make promises we can’t keep. We don’t want to report metrics that are made up. We don’t want to have lots of small print for customers to understand what they are actually buying.

Trust and authenticity are incredibly important to Yoyo and to our reputation, and we do not want to do anything to damage this.

This policy is our playbook.

It outlines how we talk about ourselves, how we run campaigns, and how we help our clients show up in the world. It is a practical policy, but it is not exhaustive, so if there is any doubt, please always speak to Jen Kitchen, CEO.

1. Back It Up, Or Don’t Say It

If we're going to put a claim out into the world, whether it’s about carbon footprints, social impact, company culture, or the results that we get for our clients, we have to be able to back it up. We cannot embellish or make things up.

Real Data, Not Wishful Thinking (PSG 4.1.1.a)

  • Precise and reliable data: Every environmental or social claim must be based on precise, reliable or scientific data that can be substantiated and replicated. If it’s just a feeling, unproven, or untested, we do not claim it.

  • No overstating unproven technology: We don’t overstate claims about unproven technology.

  • Conditional claims: We only make claims that depend on certain conditions when those conditions are widely met.

  • Context is everything: Think through whether the person needs more context to understand a statement. Don’t give only half the story.

  • Fair comparisons: If you are comparing two things, we use the exact same calculation methods for both for example, comparing our carbon footprint year on year, or comparing one service against another. We don’t change the goalposts to make ourselves look good.

  • Show our working: Whenever we share a stat or an impact milestone, we make the source accessible so anyone can verify it for themselves.

Telling the Whole Story (PSG 4.1.1.b)

  • Honest about the mess: We’re truthful about the social and environmental impacts of our operations, both positive and negative, and about our progress. Sustainability isn’t a neat, finished box you tick; we talk openly about what we’re getting right, but we’re just as candid about the areas where we’re falling short and still have heavy lifting to do.

  • No distraction tactics: We don’t plant five trees in the park to distract people from high emissions elsewhere. We are continuously trying to do better, and if an issue exists, we own it.

  • Hands up if we get it wrong: If we make a factual mistake or misjudge something in public, we won’t sneakily edit it out and pretend it never happened. We acknowledge it, fix it, and apologise.

2. Respecting People, Channels & Privacy (PSG 4.1.1.c)

Marketing and public relations touch people in their daily lives. We want to leave people feeling informed and respected.

The things we don't do:

  • No manufactured panic: No countdown timers that reset when you refresh the page. No fake "Only 1 left in stock!" pop-ups. We want people to buy things because they genuinely want or need them, not because we created anxiety.

  • Protecting young and vulnerable audiences: We completely avoid exploitative tactics, peer pressure, or manipulative hooks, especially when kids or teenagers might be on the receiving end.

  • No dirty data tricks: We all hate spam. We don't buy email lists, scrape personal info, or bury opt-ins in pages of information. If someone is on our mailing list, it’s because they want to be there.

  • No fake stuff: No paid bot armies, no paid-off reviews, and zero covert influencer deals. If something is sponsored or partnered, we state it clearly.

  • Honest SEO & content: We write for real people looking for useful answers, not search bots. No bought links and no generic, churned-out clickbait.

The stuff we bake into everything:

  • Accessibility as a default: The web belongs to everyone. We design and build our website to WCAG 2.1 AA standards so that screen readers, high-contrast needs, and accessible navigation are standard features, not afterthoughts. We educate our clients and the general public about accessibility and inclusivity, and we work with our clients to raise the standards of their websites.

  • Mindful consumption: We champion longevity, repairability, and thoughtful choices over the churn-and-burn throwaway economy.

3. The Projects and Clients We Take On (PSG 4.1.2)

Because we’re an agency, the biggest mark we leave is the work we help our clients put out there.

  • Aligning our client portfolio to our values: We look closely at who we work with. If a prospective client’s core business model relies on exploitation, human rights abuses, or is destructive to the environment, we'll decline.

  • Constructive challenge: When a client wants to make a sweeping green claim that their data doesn't quite support, our job is to steer them straight. We help them to be honest and back up any statements. We won’t always know, but if something doesn’t feel right, please raise it with your manager or CEO.

  • Right of refusal: Every person on our team has the right to question a brief or request not to work on a project if it conflicts with their ethics.

4. How We Actually Live This Day-to-Day

This policy only matters if it changes what we do when we work.

  • Part of day one: Every new teammate reads this as part of their onboarding pack, with plenty of space to ask questions about how it works in practice.

  • Always within reach: This policy lives in our Google Drive and can be referenced at any time.

  • Team check-ins: We run refresher conversations on this to chat through grey areas and figure out what it looks like in practice, especially as new tools and AI evolve.

  • The pre-launch check: Before a campaign or site goes live, we run a simple check: Are the facts verified? Is the language straight? Is the site accessible? Does it treat the user with respect?

  • Safe whistleblowing & reporting breaches: If you spot something in our work that feels off, manipulative, or untruthful, speak up. You can raise it internally with anyone on the leadership team without fear of repercussions. For formal reporting or external concerns, breaches can be escalated via our Public Grievance Procedure (PSG 3.1).

5. Keep Us Honest

We publish this policy openly because accountability only works when people can hold us to it. Spot something we could do better? Disagree with how we’ve phrased something? Please let us know. You can reach out directly to Jen or any member of the leadership team, or submit feedback and complaints through our formal Public Grievance Procedure (PSG 3.1).