The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulatory body for advertising across all media in the UK. It is funded through a voluntary levy system paid by advertisers, ensuring the ASA's independence. The ASA regulates ads to ensure they are legal, truthful and comply with the Advertising Code. It handles thousands of complaints each year and also proactively monitors ads. The self-regulatory system is effective and preferable to direct government regulation. The ASA can require changes to or bans of ads that violate the Code. Examples provided show ads by Tesco and Barnardo's that received complaints, though the ASA determined the aims justified the content in the Barnardo's case.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulatory body for advertising across all media in the UK. It is funded through a voluntary levy system paid by advertisers, ensuring the ASA's independence. The ASA regulates ads to ensure they are legal, truthful and comply with the Advertising Code. It handles thousands of complaints each year and also proactively monitors ads. The self-regulatory system is effective and preferable to direct government regulation. The ASA can require changes to or bans of ads that violate the Code. Examples provided show ads by Tesco and Barnardo's that received complaints, though the ASA determined the aims justified the content in the Barnardo's case.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulatory body for advertising across all media in the UK. It is funded through a voluntary levy system paid by advertisers, ensuring the ASA's independence. The ASA regulates ads to ensure they are legal, truthful and comply with the Advertising Code. It handles thousands of complaints each year and also proactively monitors ads. The self-regulatory system is effective and preferable to direct government regulation. The ASA can require changes to or bans of ads that violate the Code. Examples provided show ads by Tesco and Barnardo's that received complaints, though the ASA determined the aims justified the content in the Barnardo's case.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulatory body for advertising across all media in the UK. It is funded through a voluntary levy system paid by advertisers, ensuring the ASA's independence. The ASA regulates ads to ensure they are legal, truthful and comply with the Advertising Code. It handles thousands of complaints each year and also proactively monitors ads. The self-regulatory system is effective and preferable to direct government regulation. The ASA can require changes to or bans of ads that violate the Code. Examples provided show ads by Tesco and Barnardo's that received complaints, though the ASA determined the aims justified the content in the Barnardo's case.
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Task 11: Regulatory Body
The Advertising Standards Authority(ASA) is the independent body which regulates
all advertising the UK across all media.
How is the ASA funded?
The ASA is funded by advertisers through an arms length arrangement that guarantees the ASAs independence.
Collected by the Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Asbof) and the Broadcast Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Basbof), the 0.1% levy on the cost of buying advertising space and the 0.2% levy on some direct mail ensures the ASA is adequately funded to keep UK advertising standards high. We also receive a small income from charging for some seminars and premium industry advice services.
We receive no Government funding and therefore our work is free to the tax payer.
The levy system means the ASA has the necessary resources to handle more than 30,000 complaints each year and independently check thousands of ads every year. In addition, the funding supports CAPs Copy Advice service which provides pre- publication advice to advertisers, agencies and the media.
The separate funding mechanism ensures that the ASA does not know which advertisers choose to fund the system or the amount they contribute.
The levy is the only part of the system that is voluntary. Advertisers can choose to pay the levy, but they cannot choose to comply with the Advertising Codes or the ASAs rulings. https://www.asa.org.uk/About-ASA/Funding.aspx
What exactly does the ASA do?
The Advertising Standards Authority is the UKs independent regulator of advertising across all media. We apply the Advertising Codes, which are written by the Committees of Advertising Practice. Our work includes acting on complaints and proactively checking the media to take action against misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements. https://www.asa.org.uk/About-ASA.aspx
How does self-regulation of non-broadcast
advertising work? Self-regulation means that the industry has voluntarily established and paid for its own regulation. The system works because it is powered and driven by a sense of corporate social responsibility amongst the advertising industry. Advertisers have an interest in maintaining the system because: Making sure that consumers are not misled, harmed or offended by ads helps to maintain consumer confidence in advertising. Advertising that is welcomed by consumers is good for business. It maintains a level playing field amongst businesses. It is important for fair competition that all advertisers play by the same rules. Maintaining the self-regulatory system is much more cost-effective for advertisers than paying the legal costs of a court case. The role of the industry is to write the Advertising Codes, help advertisers to comply with the rules and to pay for the system. However, the industry does not administer its own rules. It has established the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as the independent adjudicator. Advertising self-regulation is flexible in its scope and is able to adapt to market conditions. This is particularly important in the fast-moving advertising industry. The Code reflects requirements in law, but also contains many rules that are not required by law at all. The advertising industry has chosen to exercise this self- restraint not only to make further legislation unnecessary, but also as a public demonstration of its commitment to high standards in advertising. Because the system works successfully, the UK Government has not needed to regulate directly. However, that doesnt mean that the views of politicians or civil society and the wider industry - on advertising regulation are unimportant, so we actively seek out their views on our work. https://www.asa.org.uk/About-ASA/About- regulation/Self-regulation-of-non-broadcast-advertising-.aspx
How does regulation work after an advertisement
has appeared and what sanctions can the ASA impose? As well as acting on complaints, we carry out many other regulatory activities to make sure advertising stays within the rules. For example, the ASA actively checks ads in all media and regularly conducts surveys of advertisements published by sectors where there is either unsatisfactory compliance with the Codes or where there are societal concerns about that sector. And together with CAP, we work to support the industry to help them get their ads right before they are published. For example, by providing guidance, pre-publication advice and training for the industry. https://www.asa.org.uk/About-ASA/About- regulation.aspx
Examples of complaints on the ASA website which were made about
advertising for Bernardos and TESCO.
Tesco Advertisement A national press ad for Tesco, seen in October 2015, was headlined Never pay more for your branded shop. Text below stated, If its cheaper at Asda, Morrisons or Sainsburys, well take the money off your bill at the till. It included an image of a character associated with a flour brand holding an icon that carried the text Brand Guarantee. Small print included Min. basket of 10 different products, including 1 comparable branded product. Total price of branded grocery shop compared with Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys and if cheaper elsewhere the difference will be taken off your bill .
Issue Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, who believed the ad did not make the minimum purchase restriction sufficiently clear, challenged whether the claim Never pay more for your branded shop was misleading.
Response
Tesco Stores Ltd believed the ad communicated the scheme clearly to consumers and was consistent with the industrys wider approach to price match advertising. They understood consumers were familiar with how price match schemes worked and that a minimum spend requirement generally applied. They believed the ad made clear that a branded shop was made up of multiple products, which was something consumers were also already familiar with. Tesco considered the combination of the text and the Brand Guarantee logo communicated to consumers that the ad related to a price match scheme for branded products in which prices were matched against ASDA, Morrisons and Sainsburys, and that it worked by taking money off at the till if the branded shop cost more at Tesco.
Tesco said that of the conditions set out in the small print the first was the minimum purchase requirement, and that was communicated in a context in which, as above, it was clear that the scheme applied to the shop as a whole. The first part of the small print also made clear what qualified as a branded shop and informed consumers where they could find further information. Tesco accepted that the minimum purchase requirement was a condition that should be brought to consumers attention, however, they believed it was sufficient to do so in small print, because it was not so significant as to contradict the headline claim (but instead clarified the nature of a branded shop). They also said the condition was of no more importance than those such as geographical restrictions or maximum refunds, which were typically also in small print. They said price match schemes were usually aimed at shops that included multiple items and that their data showed the average Brand Guarantee shop contained 24.4 items, whereas the minimum number to qualify for the match was ten. Tesco had taken advice from the CAP Copy Advice team, who believed the ad was likely to be acceptable in relation to the minimum purchase requirement. https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2016/3/Tesco- Stores-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_316872.aspx#.WG-XSFOLSUk
Bernardos The ASA received 840 complaints about this Barnardos ad campaign, which was designed to raise awareness of domestic child abuse. The TV campaign featured repeated scenes of violence and drug-taking, which many viewers found upsetting and not suitable for broadcast at times when children were likely to be watching. We did not doubt the distress or offence described by many of the complainants. However, we considered the ads were appropriately scheduled and their aim justified the use of strong imagery.
Communications in The Sixties Author(s) : Richard C. Christian Source: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Oct., 1960), Pp. 67-70 Published By: Stable URL: Accessed: 03/06/2013 16:35
Communications in The Sixties Author(s) : Richard C. Christian Source: Journal of Marketing, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Oct., 1960), Pp. 67-70 Published By: Stable URL: Accessed: 03/06/2013 16:35
