Ethical Marketing, Advertising & Customer Engagement Policy

1. Purpose

Meaningful Planet exists to create genuine environmental impact. This policy ensures that how we market our products, engage our customers, and select our charitable partners is honest, substantiated, and consistent with our values – particularly "Act with Integrity" and "Create Real Impact."

Greenwashing and misleading impact claims undermine public trust in environmental causes. We hold ourselves to a high standard: every claim we make must be accurate, verifiable, and proportionate.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All marketing and advertising materials (digital, print, email, social media)
• Customer communications (onboarding, support, retention)
• Environmental and impact claims in any public-facing content
• The selection and ongoing screening of charitable partners

It applies to all employees, contractors, and any third-party agencies acting on behalf of Meaningful Planet.

3. Ethical Marketing Principles

3.1 Honesty and accuracy

All marketing materials must be truthful, substantiated, and not misleading. We do not exaggerate the environmental benefit of our products or our giving model.

Specifically:

• Impact claims (e.g. donation percentages, project outcomes) must be supported by current data and reviewed before publication
• Forward-looking statements (e.g. projected impact) are clearly labelled as such

3.2 Advertising standards compliance

All advertising must comply with:

• The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising (CAP Code) administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
• The UK Green Claims Code (Competition and Markets Authority, 2021) for any environmental claims
• UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) for digital marketing

Before publishing any new environmental claim, the responsible team member must be satisfied that the claim is:

• Accurate and unambiguous – it does not omit material information that would change how a customer understands it
• Substantiated – there is verifiable evidence behind it
• Fair and meaningful – it is relevant to our actual product or operations, not a peripheral or unrelated activity
• Not misleading by implication – the overall impression created is consistent with the facts

4. Customer Engagement

4.1 Transparent pricing and terms

We communicate pricing, contract terms, and any changes clearly and in plain English. We do not use misleading or hidden charges.

4.2 Email marketing

All marketing emails are sent via Brevo. Customers are opted in only with explicit consent. Every email includes a clear, functional unsubscribe option.

4.3 Customer feedback and complaints

We actively monitor customer feedback via Trustpilot and Crisp (live chat). We respond to reviews and complaints promptly and honestly. Our formal complaints procedure is published on our help site and includes independent CISAS adjudication as a final stage.

We do not suppress or selectively publish customer reviews.

4.4 Vulnerable customers

We take reasonable steps to ensure our communications are accessible and do not exploit customers in vulnerable circumstances. Any customer raising affordability concerns is directed to appropriate support options.

5. Charitable Partner Screening

5.1 Purpose of screening

We commit 10% of B2C revenue and 10% of B2B profits to environmental restoration. Given this is a core part of our business model and a material customer promise, we have a responsibility to ensure our charitable partners are credible, effective, and aligned with our mission.

5.2 Eligibility criteria

To be considered as a charitable partner, an organisation must meet all of the following:

5.3 Screening process

Before formalising any new charitable partnership:

1. Initial assessment – Confirm the organisation meets all eligibility criteria above. Check the Charity Commission register (or equivalent) to verify registered status and review the most recent annual accounts.
2. Impact review – Assess the credibility and measurability of the organisation's reported impact. Preference is given to partners using verified, science-based methodologies.
3. Alignment check – Confirm the organisation's values, public positions, and practices are consistent with Meaningful Planet's mission. Check for any reputational concerns or controversies.
4. Approval – New charitable partners are approved by the Board before any formal agreement or public announcement.
5. Documentation – A completed screening record is retained for each partner.

5.4 Ongoing review

Existing partners are reviewed annually. The review confirms:

• Registered status remains active
• No material reputational or governance concerns have emerged
• Impact reporting continues to be published and credible
• The partnership remains aligned with our current strategy

6. Impact Reporting

We commit to publishing an honest account of our environmental giving on at least an annual basis, starting FY 2027. This will include:

• Total donations made in the period (by partner)
• Key project outcomes reported by partners

We do not publish impact figures that have not been provided or verified by our charitable partners.

7. Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the Board, or sooner if there are material changes to our marketing activity, partner relationships, or applicable regulation. Next review: January 2027.

Updated on: 19/03/2026