Advertising Standards Council of India
Encyclopedia
Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is a self-regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry.
content – The Advertising Standards Council of India, ASCI founded in 1985. The three main constituents of advertising industry viz advertisers, advertising agencies and media came together to form this independent NGO. The aim of ASCI is to maintain and enhance the public's confidence in advertising. Their mandate is that all advertising material must be truthful, legal and honest, decent and not objectify women, safe for consumers
- especially children and last but not the least, fair to their competitors.
There is no other non governmental body in India which regulates the advertising content that is released in India. If an ad that is released in India seems objectionable, a person can write to ASCI with their complaint. This complaint will be deliberated on by the CCC after providing due process to advertiser to defend the ad against the complaint and depending on whether the ad is in alignment with the ASCI code and law of the land, the complaint is upheld or not upheld and if upheld then the ad is voluntarily either withdrawn or modified.
In 2007, the Government of India amended the Cable TV Network Rules’ Advertising Code by which ads which violate ASCI code cannot be permitted on TV.
, until 1985 there was none. Due to this there was a lot of false, misleading and offensive advertising. This led to consumers losing faith in advertising and hence resenting it. It was decided that if this continued it would not take time for statutory regulations such as censorship to be imposed on advertising content.
In 1985, ASCI to be imposed on advertisers and advertising agencies. This would make fair, truthful and decent advertising almost impossible which would in turn hinder the industry’s ability to compete and grow.
In 1985, the ASCI adopted a Code for Self-Regulation in Advertising. With the introduction of the code, the aim is to promote honest and decent advertising and fair competition in the industry. It will also ensure the protection of consumer interests and the all concerned with the ad industry - advertisers, media, advertising agencies and others who help in the creation or placement of advertisements.
As the fraternity starts accepting the code, it will result in fewer false claims, fewer unfair advertisements and increased respect for advertisers.
Origin
Like other countries around the world, India too has a self regulatory organization (SRO) for advertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
content – The Advertising Standards Council of India, ASCI founded in 1985. The three main constituents of advertising industry viz advertisers, advertising agencies and media came together to form this independent NGO. The aim of ASCI is to maintain and enhance the public's confidence in advertising. Their mandate is that all advertising material must be truthful, legal and honest, decent and not objectify women, safe for consumers
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
- especially children and last but not the least, fair to their competitors.
Members of ASCI
ASCI’s team consists of the Board of Governors , the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) and its Secretariat. ASCI has 12 members in its the Board of Governors, four each representing the key sectors such as Advertisers, advertising agencies, media and allied professions such as market research, consulting, business education etc. The CCC currently has about 21 members: 9 are from within the industry and 12 are from the civil society like well-known doctors, lawyers, journalists, academicians, consumer activists, etc. The CCC’s decision on complaint against any ad is final. ASCI also has its own independent Secretariat of 5 members which is headed by the Secretary General.There is no other non governmental body in India which regulates the advertising content that is released in India. If an ad that is released in India seems objectionable, a person can write to ASCI with their complaint. This complaint will be deliberated on by the CCC after providing due process to advertiser to defend the ad against the complaint and depending on whether the ad is in alignment with the ASCI code and law of the land, the complaint is upheld or not upheld and if upheld then the ad is voluntarily either withdrawn or modified.
In 2007, the Government of India amended the Cable TV Network Rules’ Advertising Code by which ads which violate ASCI code cannot be permitted on TV.
Self-Regulation
Almost all professional fields have self regulatory bodies governing their activities. For the advertising fraternityFraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
, until 1985 there was none. Due to this there was a lot of false, misleading and offensive advertising. This led to consumers losing faith in advertising and hence resenting it. It was decided that if this continued it would not take time for statutory regulations such as censorship to be imposed on advertising content.
In 1985, ASCI to be imposed on advertisers and advertising agencies. This would make fair, truthful and decent advertising almost impossible which would in turn hinder the industry’s ability to compete and grow.
In 1985, the ASCI adopted a Code for Self-Regulation in Advertising. With the introduction of the code, the aim is to promote honest and decent advertising and fair competition in the industry. It will also ensure the protection of consumer interests and the all concerned with the ad industry - advertisers, media, advertising agencies and others who help in the creation or placement of advertisements.
As the fraternity starts accepting the code, it will result in fewer false claims, fewer unfair advertisements and increased respect for advertisers.