Conscious Advertising Network

What Conscious Advertising Network does

Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) is an international not-for-profit member organisation founded in 2018 by Jake Dubbins and Harriet Kingaby and headquartered in London, with staff across the UK and Europe. It operates a coalition of 200+ members spanning global brands, network media agencies, and civil society organisations, and addresses advertising harm across six domains: Anti Ad-Fraud, Inclusion, Informed Consent, Children's Rights & Wellbeing, Information Integrity & Hate, and Sustainability. Its core products are the four CAN Guiding Principles (Fundamentals, Conscious Creative, Conscious Media, Conscious Questions), the six updated CAN Guides, a downloadable Member Progress Tracker, an annual report, the 2026 CAN Policy Platform, and the April 2026 UN-co-authored Issue Brief on AI and advertising. All resources are freely available and membership is free.

The organisation's business model is freemium by design: CAN charges no membership fees and explicitly declines corporate donations from advertising, publishing, and big tech entities to preserve independence. Funding derives from individual donations processed via PayPal, with donations above £10,000 requiring AML/Proceeds of Crime verification. Go-to-market is community-led, combining direct email outreach, free website downloads, presence at industry events (Cannes Lions, COP30, MAD//Fest, SMRS All In Day, AOP CRUNCH, ERA26, EACA x 5Rights Creative4Change), pro bono PR (Propeller Group), an active LinkedIn community of 5,000+ followers, monthly newsletters, and earned media in Campaign, The Guardian, and similar trade outlets.

CAN is not a technology company and does not offer APIs, SDKs, or proprietary software — its core capability is advocacy, framework development, and policy influence. Strategic positioning is built on tri-sector coalition-building (commercial brands, agencies, civil society), credibility with multilateral institutions (UN Global Principles for Information Integrity, OHCHR Bangkok roundtable, COP30, Internet Governance Forum), and recognition of co-founder Harriet Kingaby on the Forbes 43 People Changing Advertising for the Climate list and as a 2019 Mozilla Trustworthy AI Fellow. Flagship member partnerships include the giffgaff–MG OMD–Ecologi 'Up To Good Fund,' the IAB UK + December19 three-part content series, and joint research with the Molly Rose Foundation on social media harms to young people.

Name

Conscious Advertising Network

Legal name

The Conscious Advertising Network

Website

https://consciousadnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conscious Advertising Network is a London-based international not-for-profit, founded in 2018, convening 200+ brands, agencies, and civil society groups around free ethical-advertising guidance, advocacy, and policy work spanning inclusion, sustainability, children's rights, and information integrity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Ethics & Standards

NAICS

Other Services Related to Advertising (541890), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Voice of Customer (NPS/CSAT, Journey Research) (MPAAALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fan Membership, Subscriptions & Patronage Platforms (MPACABAF)

Keywords

• Ethical advertising guidelines
• Advertising industry advocacy
• Responsible advertising frameworks
• Ad fraud prevention
• Inclusive advertising standards

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CAN operates a free-to-join membership structure. Everything CAN produces is free and accessible to the whole industry. Membership does not require a fee.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donations accepted via PayPal. Donations over £1,000 receive higher levels of scrutiny by Directors. Donations over £10,000 require identity verification and Anti-Money Laundering/Proceeds of Crime checks. Website donations accept no say in how funds are spent to ensure impartiality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Conscious Advertising Network is an international not-for-profit member organisation that produces and distributes free guidance resources for ethical advertising. Its portfolio comprises four CAN Guiding Principles (Fundamentals, Conscious Creative, Conscious Media, and Conscious Questions) and six practical CAN Guides covering Anti Ad-Fraud, Inclusion, Informed Consent, Children's Rights & Wellbeing, Information Integrity & Hate, and Sustainability. It also publishes a Policy Platform, annual reports, UN Issue Briefs, and a member Progress Tracker.

Product overview

Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) is an international not-for-profit member organisation offering a portfolio of free, industry-accessible guidance resources. Its core product portfolio centres on six practical CAN Guides (Anti Ad-Fraud, Inclusion, Informed Consent, Children's Rights & Wellbeing, Information Integrity & Hate, and Sustainability) and four accompanying CAN Guiding Principles (Fundamentals, Conscious Creative, Conscious Media, and Conscious Questions). These are supplemented by policy advocacy resources including the CAN Policy Platform and the UN Issue Brief on AI and advertising. CAN also produces annual reports and a member Progress Tracker. All resources are freely available; membership does not require a fee, making this an open-access knowledge and advocacy ecosystem rather than a commercial software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAN Guiding Principles Four overarching principles that set a clear baseline for members to embed responsible advertising into day-to-day decisions across creative, media, and supply chains.
• Anti Ad-Fraud Guide A practical guide providing four essential steps for advertisers to reduce ad fraud in all trading relationships, promoting accountability through transparency standards, anti-fraud vendors, media partner vetting, and supply-chain verification using tools like ads.txt and Sellers.json.
• Inclusion Guide A practical guide providing five essential steps for ensuring advertising content reflects all of society, from organisational DEI policies and briefing requirements through to creative standards, media buying inclusion, and equitable recruitment practices.
• Informed Consent Guide A practical guide empowering advertisers to engage users as active participants controlling their online experience and personal data. Covers data transparency, privacy-by-design, user experience standards, and responsible use of emerging technologies including AI.
• Children's Rights and Wellbeing Guide A practical guide providing six steps for protecting children's rights in advertising, covering safety-by-design, legal frameworks, age-appropriate content, reduction of exploitative features, privacy-by-design, and accessibility for diverse needs. Aligned with UNCRC and 5Rights Foundation principles.
• Information Integrity & Hate Guide A practical guide covering transparency in advertising supply chains to minimise information pollution. Provides steps for developing internal policies, incentivising quality content, optimising media mix, and enforcing accountability across the supply chain to reduce misinformation and hate speech adjacent to ads.
• Sustainability Guide A practical guide providing six steps for sustainable advertising aligned with Paris Climate Agreement goals, covering planning, supply-chain management, production emissions, content standards, climate information integrity, and climate literacy for advertising teams.
• CAN Policy Platform A policy document outlining key recommendations for a safer digital ecosystem, including enshrining information integrity in law, driving end-to-end transparency in the digital advertising supply chain, establishing stronger accountability mechanisms with proportionate penalties, and aligning platform business models with societal interests.
• The Outvertising Advocacy Playbook A practical guide co-created with Outvertising to help advertisers build genuine LGBTQIA+ inclusion from the inside out, equipping organisations with data, principles, and step-by-step guidance for supporting teams, strengthening policies, and delivering representative campaigns.
• Progress Tracker A downloadable spreadsheet tracker that charts member progress against the various asks outlined in CAN's Guides, enabling members to monitor and report on their implementation of conscious advertising practices.
• CAN Annual Report Annual reporting publication covering CAN's advocacy work, membership growth, research initiatives, global engagements (including UN forums and COP events), Guide and Principle updates, and member spotlights. Freely accessible to the industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of members are satisfied with CAN membership
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• December19coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDecember19 partnered with CAN and IAB UK to produce a three-part series translating ethical principles into actionable advertising practices. December19 achieved IAB Gold Standard certification, documenting practices in fraud prevention, brand safety, and supply chain transparency that align with CAN's Guiding Principles and Guides.
• IAB UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAB UK partnered with CAN and December19 to produce a three-part certification series covering ad fraud, sustainability, and safer media practices.
• giffgaffflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partnergiffgaff partnered with MG OMD and Ecologi to launch the Up To Good Fund, turning advertising spend into real-world climate and nature impact. Every campaign gives something back to nature through peatland restoration, tree planting, and wetland regeneration. giffgaff is a B Corp committed to Net Zero by 2040.
• MG OMDflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMG OMD co-designed the Up To Good Fund with giffgaff and Ecologi, contributing to regenerative marketing initiatives that support nature recovery in the UK.
• EcologiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcologi is the sustainability partner for the Up To Good Fund, providing rigorous vetting of climate and nature projects. All carbon projects are independently verified to international standards including Verified Carbon Standard or Gold Standard.
• United Nations (UN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAN has been working with the United Nations as key advisors on AI and advertising information integrity. CAN co-hosted a Bangkok roundtable with OHCHR on advertising, business, and human rights. CAN contributed to UN Global Principles for Information Integrity and participated in global panels ahead of COP30 including Climate Information Integrity Summit, New York Climate Week, and Internet Governance Forum.
• Molly Rose FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAN partnered with the Molly Rose Foundation on research showing how social media algorithms expose young people to harmful content. The research found 1 in 10 pieces of self-harm and suicide content remains monetized across platforms. Harriet Kingaby, CAN co-founder, commented on the findings.
• OutvertisingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAN partnered with Outvertising to create the Advocacy Playbook, a practical guide for LGBTQIA+ inclusive advertising. The playbook equips organisations to support their teams, strengthen policies, and deliver representative, inclusive campaigns.
• Ad Net ZerocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAd Net Zero backs the Up To Good Fund and provides the framework and credibility for regenerative marketing initiatives. CAN and its members are aligned with Ad Net Zero's goals for sustainable advertising.
• Propeller GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPropeller Group provides pro bono PR support to CAN, helping amplify messages about conscious advertising and industry change.
• The Bright Initiative by Bright DatacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bright Initiative by Bright Data partnered with Molly Rose Foundation on the 'Pervasive-by-design' research examining how social media algorithms expose teens to harmful content.
• 5Rights FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAN contributed to EACA's x 5Rights #Creative4Change initiative at the Strasbourg launch, reaffirming CAN's ongoing contribution to building a digital ecosystem where children's rights are protected by design.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ad Council: US non-profit that organises public service advertising campaigns. Comparable non-profit, coalition-driven model using advertising to address social issues, with similar partnerships across media, agencies, and civil society.
• 5Rights Foundation: UK-based non-profit focused on children's rights in the digital world. Active CAN partner (EACA x 5Rights Creative4Change), aligned on Children's Rights & Wellbeing Guide content, and shares a similar policy and standards-setting approach.
• Ad Net Zero: Industry-wide initiative backed by UK advertisers, agencies and trade bodies to reduce advertising's carbon impact. Direct peer to CAN: both operate as free, coalition-style advocacy organisations with aligned Guides, member rosters, and shared partners (CAN and Ad Net Zero jointly support the giffgaff / MG OMD Up To Good Fund).
• Outvertising: UK-based volunteer community and industry body championing LGBTQIA+ inclusion in advertising. Co-produced the Advocacy Playbook with CAN, shares a non-profit coalition model and overlapping corporate membership base.

Emerging players

• Center for Humane Technology: US non-profit working on ethical design and accountability in technology, including advertising-adjacent concerns (AI, attention, misinformation). Smaller and earlier-stage than CAN but works the same policy/research/coalition lane.
• Mozilla Foundation: Foundation driving trustworthy AI and internet health. Comparable as a values-led, donor-funded organisation producing frameworks and fellowships; Mozilla Trustworthy AI Fellows network (through which Harriet Kingaby participated) makes it a thematic peer.

Broad incumbents

• ANA (Association of National Advertisers): US-based trade body representing marketers across all paid media. Comparable in mission (industry standards, ethics, measurement) but with corporate-membership revenue model and US regulatory focus.
• IAB UK: The UK trade association for digital advertising. Functions as a broader incumbent to CAN: same advertiser/agency ecosystem, formal policy advocacy, but with paid membership, certification programs (Gold Standard), and substantially larger budget.
• Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB): Global trade association for digital advertising covering supply-chain transparency, brand safety, and AI policy. Overlaps with CAN's Guides on Anti Ad-Fraud and Information Integrity but operates at industry-wide scale.
• Advertising Standards Authority (ASA): UK regulator for advertising standards across all media. Operates in CAN's adjacent policy lane (information integrity, harm, inclusion) but as a statutory body with enforcement power rather than a voluntary coalition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLw5PfXZtbwQ6nL8W7painKP-wYyJOdokf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conscious-advertising-network
• Xx.com/consciousadnet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Conscious Advertising Network