In the wake of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launching a new Advertising Standards Code and its AdHelp service, we sit down with chief executive Hilary Souter to talk about understanding the codes, the importance of choosing the right medium and her advice for advertisers and agencies.
DB and Toyota recently pulled ads in social media commenters expressing concerns that the creative was inappropriate. And while this is a nod to the effectiveness of self-regulation, it’s worrying that ASA board played no part in the decision to pull these spots.
Being the one to tell people they’ve crossed the line is an unenviable responsibility at the best of times. But, despite having forged a career out of doing just that, Hilary Souter, the chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, is still smiling. So how does she keep it all together at the ASA?
When the Australian Standards Bureau ruled that user generated content on Carlton United Breweries Facebook page could be classified as advertising and was therefore subject to the same criteria as any other ad, advertisers and advocates smacked their gobs and quivered in their boots because they felt on-the-fly moderation required to deal with comments was commercially impractical and would nullify the immediacy and openness that make social media so powerful. Now the Advertising Standards Authority in New Zealand has released its views on the matter, and while it doesn’t go quite as far as its neighbours, there are some interesting rulings that affect how brands interact with consumers online.
The recent Law Commission report Alcohol in Our Lives: Curbing the Harm, made 153 recommendations to the National government. Some of those suggestions have formed the basis of the Alcohol Reform bill. And, now that the government’s position on booze has been clarified somewhat, the Advertising Standards Authority has decided the time is right to establish an independent panel to review the Code for Advertising Liquor.
It seems Kiwis have found plenty to grumble about, well, when it comes to advertisements anyway. The folks at the Advertising Standards Authority have been kept very busy according to their 2009 Annual Report, receiving complaints about 829 advertisements (up from 703 in 2008), with 1339 total complaints.