UK Businesses Warned of Web Site Watchdog

The remit of the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is to be extended to include web site marketing from the 1st of March. A campaign to promote the fact was launched today.

Ads in outdoor locations, on the radio, in the press and online will alert companies to new legislation requiring them to ensure their marketing materials on web sites and other space under their control - including FaceBook and Twitter - are 'legal, decent, honest and truthful', in keeping with the Authority's well known mantra. A more precise definition is set out in the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code, available at www.cap.org.uk/the-codes/cap-code.aspx .

CAP will offer training and advice services to business worried about compliance. The ad campaign, mounted with help from ad agencies AMV BBDO and OMD UK, began its b2b phase today and will continue with consumer awareness-raising in mid-March.

ASA's Director of Communications, Policy and Marketing Esra Erkal-Paler says the development of the ad campaign 'shows advertising self-regulation at its best' and adds: 'It's important that businesses don't get caught out come 1st March so they can review their websites now and get help from CAP Services.'

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.