Stoltz Code of Ethics
A guide to our ethical standards and growth.
As a team whose work profoundly influences the world around us, we have an inherent obligation to be mindful of our impact. Before we are designers or account managers, we are humans. And as humans, we must leave the world a better place than we found it.
Without a developed approach to ethical decisions, we may unknowingly commit actions that negatively impact others. While aesthetics and creativity will always be a part of what we do, can something that hurts another truly be considered well-designed or well-written?
This code of ethics provides a framework to raise the standard of our work by establishing behaviors and actions that uphold ethical practices that benefit our users, business, and society as a whole.
Our Stakeholders
Our work has a significant impact on a wide range of individuals. So we’ve refined five key stakeholder groups to keep those people top of mind when analyzing this code or any ethical decision. These groups are who we consider with each action we take, both as individuals and as an agency.
Ourselves
The employees and individuals who
uphold Stoltz’ mission and values.
Our Partners
The organizations that employ or have
access to our services.
Our Community
The people and spaces we share commonality
with from the local to the global level.
Our Audience
Those who experience and are impacted
by our strategic, thoughtful, and creative work.
Our Peers
Advertising and marketing professionals —
those we work directly with and those we don’t.
Our Commitments
Our commitments are the North Star of this code. They provide guidelines for us to discern and act upon ethical decisions with intentionality. By defining our commitments, we set precedence on how we may approach difficult and ethically complex situations. We look to these commitments when our path forward is unclear, when we’re uncertain if ethics play a role in our case, or we want to exercise and prepare our ethical muscle.
We Work Intentionally
As a woman-owned, women-led agency, we are proudly changing the
way business is done. We empower our talented and dynamic team
by providing room for thinking and exploring big ideas while nurturing
work-life harmony. We bring an intentional mindset to each project with
our talents and perspectives.
We Work with Clients Who Care
At Stoltz, we believe that successful marketing is built on one solid foundation: People do business with people. No matter the industry, the product, or the brand, your audience becomes loyal and engaged when a positive and emotional connection is established. The same can be said for our relationships with our clients. Transparent communication, responsiveness, and collaboration make our partnerships strong. We partner with brands who care about their impact on the world as much as we do. We pride ourselves on deep partnerships where we work and grow together.
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We Work for Everyone
We design for accessibility in all forms. Everyone’s experiences are valuable when informing the design process. So, we use research and insights from diverse backgrounds to develop solutions that ensure our and our partner’s assets are accessible to and representative of the community.
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We Work to Uphold Human Rights
We represent diverse experiences in our communications that are similar and different from our own. To establish a positive and emotional connection with our audiences, we represent people free from stereotypes, hurtful or harmful language, or objectification. We celebrate people’s true and full experiences and communicate with our audiences accordingly.
View ResourcesNow what?
Ethics challenge us to ask critical questions about what we do, why we do it, how we do it, and what the consequences of our actions are. By asking these questions, we commit to creating work that is more than eye-catching and click-worthy — we create work that is positively impactful.
To borrow words from Uncle Ben of Spider-Man fame, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Stoltz’ Code of Ethics is a powerful tool designed to guide our decisions and help us become accustomed to thinking more deeply about them. We use this tool to aid in the creation of excellent work that will better the lives of our stakeholders. And in doing so, we’ll take responsibility for creating a better world.
