Better Business Bureau starts outreach campaign

Start with trust. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is telling consumers to do just that through a new brand and public outreach campaign. Launching nationally today, the effort will promote how BBB can help consumers make better choices and more informed pre-purchase decisions.
In 2006, BBB handled a record-breaking 1.2 million complaints from consumers, marking the fifth consecutive year complaints have risen. And, according to a national survey by Princeton Research Associates International, about one in five adult consumers in the U.S. (22 percent) have contacted BBB in the past three years to get information about a business or charity.
“While our current consumer use is impressive, we aren’t reaching as far and deep as we want to and don’t want consumers to lose out on what we have to offer,” said Steve Cole, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “The purpose of this campaign is to let more consumers know that they can find businesses they can trust and avoid ones that have a bad track record by checking them out with BBB.”
The 95-year-old nonprofit organization provides a wealth of free information, consumer advice and company reports that measure the trustworthiness of all sorts of businesses. BBB Reliability Reports are a key resource for consumers to research businesses before they choose to work with one. Reports are based solely on factual information gathered by BBB, such as if a business is licensed or not, the number of consumer complaints filed, dispute resolution outcomes and whether a government agency has taken action against a business.
Added Cole, “There are many sources, including online review sites and blogs, that offer opinions on whether a business is trustworthy or not. Consumers should start their research on businesses at BBB where they can get reliable, objective information.”
BBB also provides consumers an easy way to identify trustworthy businesses through its Seal program. Businesses accredited by BBB earn and display the BBB Seal and contractually agree to meet and uphold the organization’s high standards for integrity and reliability. BBB reviews each business that applies for the BBB Seal and strictly enforces its standards, accrediting only those meeting and upholding BBB Standards For Trust, and revoking Seals from those businesses that don’t.
BBB has also introduced a series of how-to books on buying a home, buying a franchise business and starting a business on eBay. “BBB Insiders’ Guides” include information on how to navigate each process successfully while avoiding common pitfalls and mistakes. The books are available now at major retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Borders and Books-A-Million and are also available for purchase on the BBB Web site at, www.bbb.org.
Most recently, BBB launched the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative to drive responsible marketing and advertising of healthy food and beverages for America’s children. The initiative already has pledges from 13 top companies that accounted for more than two-thirds of children’s food and beverage television advertising expenditures in 2004.
For more information about BBB, and to see and access new products and resources, visit www.bbb.org .