ASCIs has gathered a substantial amount of feedback about 4,500 complaints from around the globe between April and September. They revolve around the rampant violations by Indian ads. According to the recent findings by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), healthcare and gaming-related advertising were the leading contributors to non-compliant ads.
The report also highlighted digital media’s dominance, with 79% of violations originating from online platforms. Consumers were active in reporting these issues, comprising 21.3% of the total processed complaints. Moreover, influencers were linked to 22% of the problematic ads, with a staggering 99.4% of them violating established guidelines.
ASCI has taken regulatory measures to address these concerns, with 98% of processed ads requiring some level of modification to align with advertising standards. Despite the concerning statistics, there has been a significant rise in compliance with ASCI’s recommendations, reaching an impressive 92%.
The healthcare industry emerged as a significant contributor to non-compliant ads, making up 21% of processed advertisements. The proliferation of drug and medicine advertisements on digital platforms was the primary reason for this non-compliance. Additionally, the report noted a rise in advertisements violating the Drug and Magic Remedies Act of 1954.
Furthermore, the gaming industry outranked education as the most violative sector, followed by healthcare, personal care, and cryptocurrency. Despite ASCI’s guidelines, over 50% of ads did not align with consumer complaints council suggestions, with 92% of ads lacking crucial risk disclaimers.
In light of these findings, Manisha Kapoor, CEO, and Secretary-General of ASCI, emphasized the organization’s commitment to proactively identifying and addressing potential violations. The hope is that various sectors will recognize these breaches and commit to more responsible advertising. The report also noted a significant increase in ads featuring celebrities, with one in four ads having influencer violations. Notably, ASCI has referred 565 ads to the Ministry of AYUSH, marking a considerable surge compared to previous figures. This escalation underscores the necessity for stricter adherence to advertising regulations, especially concerning sensitive sectors like healthcare and products falling under specific legislative acts.
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