A study of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and its regulatory role towards curbing unethical marketing communication with specific reference to the Portrayal of women by advertisers

Abstract

In the present highly competitive marketing scenario there is a clutter of advertisements in the media such as newspapers, television, magazines, outdoor and cyber media. The advertisers and advertising agencies design the print advertisements for the newspapers and magazines, television commercial films, billboards in such a manner that they should catch the attention of the readers and viewers immediately. There are too many products and services competing for the attention of the public. The advertisers try to make their advertisements in such a way that they will be seen, will stand out , will be noticed and remembered and acted upon leading to the acquisition of the product or service by the public. At times, the advertisers knowingly or unknowingly, make the advertisements which public might consider as indecent, dishonest and full of tall claims. In a situation like this, there has to be a regulatory body to control the content of the advertisements. There is no government agency for pre clearance of the advertisements. But the advertising fraternity consisting of advertisers, media, advertising agencies and allied professions related to the business of advertising have got together and formed a Self Regulatory Body or SRO, known as The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). The said SRO, ASCI is in existence in India for over 25 years now. Present research is undertaken for the purpose of studying how effective ASCI is in ensuring fairness in advertising and particularly how effective they have been in curbing unethical marketing communication with specific reference to the portrayal of women by advertisers.