Regulation of Advertising in the UK

By Olivia Lark

How is the ASA funded?

The ASA is funded by advertisers through a private agreement it ensures that the ASA keeps its own identity. The Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Asbof) and the Broadcast Advertising Standards Board of Finance (Basbof) ensures the ASA is adequately funded to keep UK advertising standards high. Also they get from income from charging for some seminars and premium industry advice services.

What exactly does the ASA do?

The Advertising Standards Authority is the UKs independent supervisor 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.

How does self-regulation of nonbroadcast advertising work?

Self-regulating enforcing its own rules and regulations without anyone else having a say in what they do.

How does regulation work after an advertisement has appeared and has sanctions can the ASA IMPOSE?
If any complaints are made they will take action on them, they also carry out other regulatory issues to make sure advertises shown on air stays within the rules, to check this they do regular surveys to check everything stays within the codes of conduct.

What the code applies to?

The code of practice applies to posters, cinema, video, DVD and Blu-ray advertisements, and advertisements in non-broadcast electronic media, marketing databases containing consumers personal information, sales promotions in nonbroadcast media, advertorials, Advertisements and other marketing communications by or from companies

What are the central principles of the code?

The central principle for all marketing communications is that they should be legal, decent, Honest and truthful. All marketing communications should be prepared with a sense of Responsibility to consumers and society and should reflect the spirit, not merely the letter, of the Code.

What are the basic rules of compliance for the code?

They include general rules that state advertising must be responsible, must not mislead, or offend and specific rules that cover advertising to children and ads for specific sectors like alcohol, gambling, motoring, health and financial products.

These are all the different sections of advertising which the code covers.
Preface Scope of the code Compliance Recognition of marketing communications Misleading advertising Harm and offense Children Privacy Political advertisements Sale promotions Distance selling Database practise Environment claims Medicines, medical devices, health related and beauty products Weight control and slimming Finance products Food Lotteries Alcohol Motoring Employment Tabacco How the system works

Here are four sections with more information

Children Principle Care should be taken when featuring or addressing children in marketing communications. Harm Marketing communications addressed to, targeted directly at or featuring children must contain nothing that is likely to result in their physical, mental or moral harm: Misleading advertisements The Code contains product-specific or audience-specific rules that are intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications. For example, the Children and Medicines sections of the Code contain rules that apply, as well as the general rules, to marketing communications that fall under those sections.

 Environmental claims Background Marketers should take account of Government guidance including the Green Claims Code published by DEFRA and BIS. Rules The basis of environmental claims must be clear. Unqualified claims could mislead if they omit significant information. The meaning of all terms used in marketing communications must be clear to consumers. Private Principles Individuals should be protected from unwarranted infringements of privacy. Rules Marketers must not unfairly portray or refer to anyone in an adverse or offensive way unless that person has given the marketer written permission to allow it.