ASA commits to improving engagement with advertisers
The Advertising Standards Authority has vowed to improve relationships with advertisers as the watchdog unveils a raft of measures aimed at making it a “better” regulator.
The industry funded self regulatory body wants to develop an “industry engagement programme” to develop better contacts and relations with advertisers.
To this end, it is to send the top 100 advertisers a report detailing the complaints and cases their advertising attracted.
The developments follow an eight month review of the ASA’s processes by independent consultants Berkshire. The review is intended to make the regulator “more effective, efficient and cost-effective”.
Other measures deriving from the review cover the ASA’s management approach and systems, investigations procedures and internal processes.
The move comes ahead of an expected extension of the ASA’s remit to cover marketing communications on company websites and changes to the advertising codes following a separate review.
The changes also come after it emerged the ASA will have to “to do more with less” money this year after income from advertisers’ 0.1% levy on ad spend dropped to £7.4m last year, from £7.8m in 2008. Pre-tax profit fell to £132,316 from £361,000 in 2008.
