Home » Business » ASCI now steps in to suspend ads that violate its code
This suspension will be for those ads pending investigation by the regulatory body.
While the move has been welcomed by the ad industry as well as consumer activists, many still complain that advertisers do not take ASCI rulings seriously, and instead choose to move court to seek relief or press charges against a rival for an offending ad.
Bejon Misra, a consumer rights activist, who is also on the Consumer Complaints Council of ASCI, the core group that decides the fate of an ad when a complaint is received, says that while the CCC is thorough in its investigation meeting twice a month, advertisers often opt not to follow the CCC order when a complaint is upheld.
ASCI can enforce its code in television thanks to the legal backstop available to it due to its inclusion in the Cable and Television Act.
The body, however, cannot enforce its code in print, outdoor or digital media.
Print constitutes nearly 42 per cent of the Rs 30,000 crore worth of advertising that happens in India.
Television follows next with about 40 per cent, while internet advertising stands at eight per cent, outdoor at six per cent, radio at three per cent and cinema advertising at one per cent.
Arvind Sharma, chairman of ASCI and also chairman of the Indian sub-continent
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