ASCI on-boards Google India, Facebook talent for better implementation of guidelines

Ad regulator the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has got on board two members.

Aditya Swamy, Director of Google India, and Sandeep Bhushan, Head of India Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook, will be special invitees to the board of ASCI.

“The wealth of experience and insights Swamy and Bhushan bring to the table will not only help the self-regulator formulate better policies and guidelines for the advertising industry, but it will also enable a better understanding of new challenges and their solutions,” said ASCI.

The appointments mark ASCI’s widening focus on digital advertising and platforms, which began last year with a partnership with TAM to monitor 3,000 digital platforms for misleading marketing claims, as well as the launch of the influencer guidelines and influencer monitoring through an AI platform.

As the digital advertising space is rapidly expanding around the globe, India especially shows a lot of promise. According to Dentsu’s Ad Spend Report from June 2021, the digital ad spends in India has grown from 20 percent in 2019 to 29.4 percent in 2021.

And while television remains the most popular medium for advertising, its growth was only 7.7 percent, which shows that the digital advertising ad spend is fast catching up with TV.

ASCI’s ‘Trust in Advertising’ report revealed that it is not just the metro cities that are viewing digital ads. The viewership of digital ads in rural centres, too, was found to be at par with the metros.

As advertisers’ focus shifts from traditional media to digital spaces, ASCI is also focusing on digital advertising.

“Having Google and Facebook on our board is a great start to the new journey ASCI is embarking upon. It is vital for us to have a keen understanding of digital operations,” said Manisha Kapoor, Secretary-General, ASCI.

Even Subhash Kamath, Chairman, ASCI, said, “As we strengthen our roots in the digital space and streamline its functioning, it is extremely important that we collaborate with and learn from the leaders. Google and Facebook are the biggest digital players. We look forward to them helping us become a better conscience keeper of the industry.” Money Control