STANDARDS WATCHDOG
Muzzled advertising watchdog gets its bark back
Order allows the ASA to advise members when advertising contravenes its code
The Advertising Standards Authority of SA (ASA) has had a tough time lately. It’s been in business rescue since late 2016 and forced to undertake an industry funding drive to stay afloat, and had its jurisdiction and powers challenged in court by, among others, Herbex. The ASA is a self-regulatory body set up by the advertising and marketing industries to establish and enforce standards and principles for advertising. It serves as a watchdog in the industry to ensure that advertising is informative, factual, honest, decent and legal. Membership of the ASA is voluntary but many advertisers are, at least indirectly, members by virtue of their being members of industry bodies that are ASA members, such as the Association for Communication and Advertising, Print Media SA and the Direct Marketing Association of SA. The ASA code sets out the principles to which advertising must adhere — for example, it should not contain misleading claims or claims that cannot be objectively substantiated...
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