Marketers: tougher ad restrictions on the way

Marketers are expecting further advertising restrictions whichever party wins the General Election this year.

Two-thirds (66.6%) of respondents to MarketingWeek. co.uk’s latest online poll believe further regulation of the advertising industry is inevitable whether Labour or the Conservatives win in May.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have previously shown support for self-regulation via the Advertising Standards Authority and voluntary codes of conduct rather than prescriptive regulation.

However, the Tories have recently indicated that they are ready to strengthen the rules governing advertising to children.

Tory Party leader David Cameron has warned of new laws outlawing “excessive commercialisation” while demanding that advertisers show “restraint”. The party also recently published a green paper that called for the current restrictions on the marketing of junk food to children to be extended to cover all media to ensure digital advertising is covered.

The Government recently unveiled a mandatory code that will outlaw drinks promotions such as all-you-can-drink offers and speed-drinking contests in a bid to combat binge-drinking.

Elsewhere, a recent inquiry by the Health Select Committee found cross-party support for greater restrictions on the marketing of alcoholic drinks. The Committee suggested that the current rules were “failing” to protect young people and called for an overhaul to the current system.

 

 

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