EASA Speaks on Self-Regulation at 43rd IAA World Congress in Beijing

15 May 2014

A convincing case for effective advertising self-regulation was made by a trio of high-level EASA representatives during the debate Self-Regulation – the Evolution of Fact or Fiction at the 43rd IAA World Congress in Beijing.

Oliver Gray, EASA’s Director General, pointed to the extensive experience of self-regulation across the EASA network, drawing attention to the wealth of evidence that shows it’s working to ensure responsible advertising. 

Ian Alwill, Chairman of the Advertising Standards Bureau (EASA’s Australian SRO member), went on to speak about the value of self-regulation when it comes to enhancing a company’s brand reputation.

Angela Mills, EASA Executive member and Director of the European Publishers Council, then reinforced the evidence of the EASA’s effective self-regulatory network, informing delegates about how EASA and its SROs had stepped up to the self-regulatory challenge for the content and delivery of digital marketing communications.

The first official Mandarin translation of the Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications Practice (ICC Code) was unveiled by the ICC during the conference. Oliver Gray introduced the Code, appealing to the Chinese regulator in the impending revision of its advertising law to provide adequate room to progress a working system of self-regulation in China.

Following the Congress, a meeting to take stock and assess how next to progress with the self-regulatory project in China was jointly organized by the ICC and the IAA. Participants included local Chinese and multinational advertisers, ad law specialists and government officials.  Oliver Gray, Ian Alwill and Stéphane Martin, Executive member and Director General of ARPP (EASA’s French SRO member), provided insights from the perspective of EASA’s self-regulatory network during the meeting.