BY Prashanta Chandra Panda, Rasananda Panda and Ms. Gurpreet Kour: Advertising, both online or offline is a powerful tool for communication. Customers are informed and also influenced by this. Innovation in advertisement and sustainability in business run hand in glove. Advertisement sustains the market and provides growth by creating wants, taste and a relative deprivation.

The world sees a ray of hope. Power to retain and modify attitude is the biggest innovation practiced on utility of money. It acts as a reflection of society, shaping consumer spending. The challenge of campaign success at times disregards accepted norms and ethics. Misrepresentation of information, concealing information that is significant to consumers’ wellbeing and decision making are consciously represented by even leading companies to promote their profits.

Effective advertising is entertaining of informative and credible facts to influence on persuasion level of customers. They mostly result in favorable response and positive attitude. Therefore, front-end marketing research and strategic planning to understand consumer preferences is required. Improved marketing communication strategies will turn customers to influential communicators of brand. Proper amalgamation of content and context, event/moment as experiences and social media marketing is secret sauce in competitive market space.

The advertising industry watchdog in India is Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). It was set up to play the role of the jury against the errant advertisers for making unsubstantiated claims. The Indian market has gained from its presence. Market size has  grown using advertising as an authentic marketing tactic. The big question is to draw the line of ethics between awareness and persuasion.

Present measures to persuade customers by companies have initiated uninterrupted debates. They are mostly detrimental to the industry if not to that firm. The mindsets of advertisements are mostly in sync with developed markets. The use of cultural branding or egging/ targeting on middle class desires by any ‘means’ often requires the intervention of an external body like ASCI to play the role of regulator. As self-regulatory organization, ASCI has vital role to play. With limited powers, it is screening the complaints on morality, legality or unethical business practices.

Effective from September 2011, Fast Track Complaints Council (FTCC) provided speedy resolution to intra- industry complains. It saved industries from seeking expensive court litigation. National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS) in 2013-2014 closely monitor Newspaper and TV channels to ensure proper scrutiny and screening of all the ads so that no advertisement which makes unproven or deceptive claims can evade itself from Consumer Complaints Council (CCC).

ASCI is successful in shortening it’s complain redress and took crucial steps for adherence to CCC’s decision within a time span of 12 days by advertisers. Inclusion of Inter-Ministerial Monitoring Committee who worked  meticulously with the ASCI in 2014 has strengthened its codes against fraudulent advertisers. Recently, ASCI put up its brave front by introduction of ‘Suspension Pending Investigation’ (SPI). With this ASCI can order an extremely objectionable ad to be removed immediately and thus reining fraudulent practices.

ASCI members have 100% rate of compliance else, 90% of such “upheld complaints” either never appears on the screen or are modified for the public view as per the ASCI codes. ASCI should transform its approach from being reactive to more proactive in the changing media landscape. ASCI can monitor effectively by creating clearance through certification of the content. Adherence of the code should be made mandatory for advertisers failing to which is subject to imposition of heavy penalty or public blacklisting of the firm.

There is need to awaken/educate the customers through media literacy regarding the process and scope of the regulatory mechanism of making complaints. It is mandatory to focus on educating consumers to spot misleading ads, raise their voice against such ads and lodge complaints.

Furthermore, to strengthen ASCI and create a win-win situation for all stakeholders, making ASCI membership as mandatory for advertisers and media players and extension of regulator’s reach to monitor digital landscape would be an effective solution.

 The aim of advertising is to create awareness contributes  to the betterment of society and not for negative consequences. Nevertheless the big question continues- what are the ethics of global advertising? What are the core values to be withheld by us as local & global consumers for future consideration? With developed nations’ strategy   as lens, drafting advertising for developing economies, isn’t it imposition of western culture on us? Can the celebrity get away after proclaiming utterly false benefits of a product to the consumer?

So, a high ethical standards and social responsibility for the welfare of the society should be the goal of the advertising professionals. These attributes included in work will lessen harmful aspects monitored by ASCI and will contribute to a better and progressive society.

(Prof.Rasananda Panda, MICA, Ahmedabad , Prof. Prashanta Chandra Panda, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar and Ms. Gurpreet Kour  Research Scholar  at MICA).