Talk by Guy Parker at SES Conference & Expo in London, February 2012, on Advertising Standards and How to Stay Out of Trouble Online

1. Advertising standards: staying out of trouble
online
ASA Chief Executive
Guy Parker

2. Topics to be covered
• Legal, decent, honest and truthful: the ASA system
• New online remit
• Key ASA rulings
• Help and advice
• Stay in touch
• Funding the system

3. Who are we?
The one-stop shop for ad complaints
• Both self- and co-regulatory
• Funded by advertisers, agencies
and media…
• …who commit to being ‘legal, decent, honest
and truthful’
• Advertising Codes that protect consumers and
maintain a level playing field
• Committed to being transparent,
proportionate, targeted and evidence-based

4. Two bodies, shared goals
writes and helps enforce the advertising codes
• CAP Broadcast – the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising
• CAP Non-broadcast – the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising
administers and enforces the rules laid out in the codes
• ASA Broadcast – regulates TV and radio ads
under contract from Ofcom
• ASA Non-broadcast – regulates non-broadcast
ads, sales promotions and direct marketing and is independent from
Ofcom

5. 360º regulation
• Mandatory Advertising Codes
• Training and advice
• Monitoring compliance
• Complaints and investigation
• Independent Council
• Effective sanctions

6. The industry’s rule book
• The Advertising Codes set standards that
ensure that ads are legal, decent, honest and
truthful
• They cover the content and placement of ads,
as well as things such as sales promotions,
database practice and distance selling
• Administered in the spirit as well as the letter

7. Extension of online remit
Came into force on 1 March 2011
Ensures the same high standards as in
other media and covers:
• Advertisers’ own marketing
communications on their own websites
• Marketing communications in other
non-paid-for space under their control,
such as social networking sites like
Facebook and Twitter.

8. ASA adjudications

9. TripAdvisor

10. Media coverage

11. Mapperton Trust

12. Hutchinson 3G t/a 3

13. Veggiedates.co.uk

14. Shaka Zulu

15. CheapFlights Media ltd t/a
www.cheapflights.co.uk

16. Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Ltd t/a
888.com

17. Copy Advice
A comprehensive range of services to help
advertisers, agencies and media owners to
comply with the rules.
In 2011, advice and training was provided on more
than 97,160 occasions.
• Team of eight advisers who provide expert
advice on the compliance of your campaigns.
• New Express Service
• New Website Audit Service

18. Tap into our knowledge and expertise
• Newsletters
• Guidance and online advice
• Case studies
• Events
• Bespoke advice
• Sign up at www.cap.org.uk

19. Keep updated

20. Stay in touch

21. Financing Advertising
Self-regulation
www.asbof.co.uk

22. Thank you
Advertising Standards Authority
Mid City Place, 71 High Holborn
London WC1V 6QT
Telephone 020 7492 2222
www.asa.org.uk